Nespak-led JV wins Diamer-Bhasha Dam's consultancy contract

A National Engineering Services Pakistan Limited (Nespak) led joint venture has won the consultancy contract of Diamer Bhasha Dam Project through competitive bidding. The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at Mega Hydel Complex, Islamabad.

General Manager/ Chief executive Officer/ Project Director Diamer Bhasha Development Company and Diamer Bhasha Consultants Group (DBCG) authorized representative Dr Tahir Masood, MD Nespak, signed the agreement on behalf of Wapda and the Joint Venture respectively.

Ministry of Water Resources Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Federal Secretary Muhammad Ashraf, Joint Secretary Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd), Nespak Managing Director Dr Tahir Masood, WAPDA Authority Members, senior officers and representatives of the consulting firms were also present on the occasion.

According to the spokesperson of the Nespak the consultants will provide services through a joint venture comprising six Firms as JV members/partners, namely, National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd - Pakistan (Lead Firm), Pöyry (AFRY) Switzerland Limited - Switzerland, MWH (Stantec) International, Inc - USA, DOLSAR Engineering Inc Co - Turkey, Associated Consulting Engineers ACE Ltd - Pakistan and MM Pakistan Pvt Ltd - Pakistan.

The Consultants' scope of services includes detailed design review, construction design, construction supervision, contract administration and environment and resettlement aspects. It is pertinent to mention that NESPAK has been assigned the lead role in the contract for consultancy services in such a mega water sector project.

Diamer Bhasha Dam is proposed to be constructed on the Indus River. The site is 315km upstream of Tarbela Dam Project, some 180km below the town of Gilgit and 40km downstream of Chilas, the headquarter of District Diamer in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The project comprises construction of 272 metres high Roller Compacted Concrete Dam (RCC), spillway, power intake, waterway tunnels and underground powerhouse one each on right & left side Abutment.

The project is scheduled to be completed in one hundred two months. On completion, the dam as proposed will be one of the largest RCC Dam in the World, the reservoir project will store about 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) of water, the powerhouse will generate 4500 megawatt (MW) of low-cost hydel electricity and help mitigating floods. About 1.23 MAF of land will be irrigated because of Bhasha Dam.