Following the award of contract for construction of main dam of Diamer Basha Dam Project last week, the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (retd) Tuesday visited the project site to review on-ground arrangements for ensuring timely mobilization of the contractor to the project site.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman said that on-time commencement of construction work on Diamer Bhasha Dam Project is the top priority of WAPDA in addition to putting an effective follow-up mechanism in place for the smooth implementation of the project. He said the project was of phenomenal significance and destined to change the fate of the nation. The project would also unfold an era of progress and prosperity for the local populace in the project area, he added.
The Chairman said that Diamer Bhasha Dam with a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4500 megawatt (MW) will go a long way in stabilizing the economy. The project will also prove to be instrumental in developing human resources and creating employment opportunities in the country. As many as 16,500 job opportunities of engineers and allied staff will be made available at the national and local levels, he further said.
Paying homage to the sacrifices being made by the locals for construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam Project, the Chairman said that a sum of Rs 78.5 billion was being spent for resettlement and confidence-building measures (CBMs) leading towards socio-economic development in the area.
He expressed satisfaction over the completion of as many as 44 development schemes for improving the existing water supply, irrigation, health, and education infrastructures. He said the construction of Chillas Cadet College under the CBMs was nearing completion which would help provide quality education to the local students. In addition, Thak Hydropower Project of 3MW is also about to be completed to meet the electricity requirements of the area. Earlier during the visit, Diamer Bhasha Dam General Manager Amir Bashir Chaudhry briefed the Chairman about various developments on the project.
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