Wapda chief tells NA body: Cheap power will be provided only after four years

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairperson, Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain (retired), said that cheaper electricity would be provided to consumers on completion of hydropower projects and offloading of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) after three to four years.

The WAPDA chairman said this, while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiative, which met with Junaid Akbar in the chair at the Parliament House, here on Wednesday. The WAPDA chairman said that electricity at low cost would be produced after three to four years due to completion of some hydropower projects and off loading of IPPs.

He said that Tarbela Extension-4 Hydropower Project had been completed with the cost of Rs 122 billion and it was producing 1,410 MW electricity.

The WAPDA chairman said that that it was more efficient than the existing Terbela Units. He said that the project had generated 6,347 billion units since commissioning. About Diamer-Bhasha Dam, he said that Rs 13 billion fund had been collected and this amount had been deposited in the account of the Supreme Court for 10 years. He said that the total cost of the project was $15 billion. He said that PC-I of the project had been approved in which Rs 500 billion would be spent for construction of water reservoir and Rs 700 billion for power generation.

The chairman WAPDA said that work on Bhasha Dam will commence this year and production will start from 2028. The dam will generate 4,500MW of electricity. He said that Dasu Dam with the cost of $8 billion would generate 4,000 MW and its first unit would be in function in 2024, while Mohmand Dam costing $3 billion will have the capacity to produce 800 MW electricity.

He said that the construction work on multipurpose Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project, which will be the 5th highest concrete-face-rock-fill dam (CFRD) in the world, would be completed during high flow season in 2025 as per the timeline.

Answering a question of a member of the committee, the WAPDA chairman said, "We can start work on Kalabagh Dam, if political leaderships create consensus on it."

He said that 1,041 MW power generation was obtained from Neelam-Jhelum project, while a revenue of Rs 566 billion was obtained from this project. He said that Pakistan had water storage capacity of 30 days, while India has 120 days and Egypt 700 days.

The WAPDA chairman said that National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) was part of WAPDA in the past. He said that WAPDA was facing problems due to lack of coordination with the NTDC. He requested the committee to recommend that the NTDC should be made part of the WAPDA again to alleviate its problems.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives said that progress in the CPEC projects was satisfactory and with the passage of time the scope of participation of private sector was going to widen.

He said that the participation of Chamber of Commerce and people directly involved in business with China will be ensured. He further said that we need to increase collaboration in manufacturing and agriculture sectors.

He assured the ministry's support for projects of federal nature, suggested by the members. After committee meeting, the minister also said, while talking to media that 9th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) would be held in April 2020.

He said that an official delegation would go to China to attend the JCC meeting.

The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives briefed about the implementation on recommendations of the committee. The bill "the General Statistics (Reorganization) (Amendment) Bill, 2019" was deferred till the next meeting of the committee. In discussion on the infrastructure and allied works on Metro Bus Service Peshawar Morr to New Islamabad Airport, the Member Planning NHA informed that work scope includes civil and structure work.

The project was approved by the ECNEC in March 2018, civil work including metro bus corridor, underpasses, bridges and interchanges are substantially completed, whereas finishing work and electro mechanical work are in progress and all the infrastructure works will be completed before 30th March, 2020. The budgetary proposals relating to the PSDP for the financial year 2020-2021 were presented before the committee and the committee approved them.