LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Engineer Lt. Gen. (Retd) Sajjad Ghani visited the Diamer-Basha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Projects, directed the projects’ teams to accelerate the construction work so that both projects could be completed in accordance with their timelines.
The WAPDA spokesman told media here Monday that electricity generation from Dasu Hydropower Project is scheduled in 2026 whereas Diamer-Basha Dam Project is scheduled for completion in 2028. WAPDA had successfully diverted mighty River Indus at Dasu Hydropower Project in February 2023 and at Diamer Basha Dam in December 2023.
In the first leg, he said, the WAPDA Chairman reached Diamer-Basha Dam and reviewed construction work on the left and right abutments of the dam, diversion canal, guide wall, upstream and downstream coffer (temporary) dams and permanent bridge. CEO Diamer Basha Dam Company, GM/PD Diamer-Basha Dam Project, the consultants and the contractors were present on the occasion. Construction activi
ties are being carried out on 13 key sites of the project. The permanent bridge along with the approach road downstream of the main dam will be completed in June this year.
In the second leg, the Chairman visited Dasu Hydropower Project and witnessed construction activities at under-ground power house and transformer cavern, left abutment and upstream coffer (temporary) dam. GM/PD Dasu Hydropower Project, flanked by the consultants and the contractors, briefed the Chairman that construction work is simultaneously continuing on 13 sites, including excavation and support work at power house, transformer cavern as well as left and right abutments of the dam. Excavation is also in progress on open areas, five tunnels and two bridges under relocated Karakoram Highway.
Diamer-Basha Dam, on its completion, will store 8.1 MAF (million acre feet) water to irrigate 1.23 million acres of land and generate 4500 MW, providing 18 billion units of green, clean and low-cost electricity to the national grid every year. The
4320 MW-Dasu Hydropower Project is to be completed in two stages. The Stage-1, with installed generation capacity of 2160 MW, will contribute 12 billion units of economically affordable electricity to the National Grid per annum, said the spokesman.