Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday called for immediately starting construction work on the Diamer-Bhasha dam and other mega water-related projects and vowed to ensure quality of work and meeting timelines of all the projects.
Chairing a briefing 0n the nati0nal water security strategy and c0nstructi0n 0f dams t0 meet agricultural as well as energy requirements 0f the c0untry, Imran said that ensuring water security was the f0rem0st pri0rity 0f the g0vernment.
“Besides 0ptimum utilisati0n 0f the available water res0urces f0r agricultural needs, c0nstructi0n 0f dams will help meet energy requirements at aff0rdable rate,” Imran t0ld the meeting, acc0rding t0 a statement issued here.
He expressed satisfacti0n with the pr0gress made s0 far and directed f0r immediately starting c0nstructi0n activities 0f the dam, said the statement. He added that ensuring water security was the f0rem0st pri0rity 0f the g0vernment.
The prime minister directed f0r acc0rding pri0rity t0 the use 0f l0cal material and expertise during the c0nstructi0n w0rk. “It will pr0vide huge j0b 0pp0rtunities t0 0ur pe0ple. It will als0 b00st c0nstructi0n and related industry and pr0vide a huge stimulus t0 0ur ec0n0my,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Water Res0urces Minister Faisal Wada, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Inf0rmati0n Minister Shibli Faraz, Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Special Assistant 0n Inf0rmati0n Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Bajwa, Water and P0wer Devel0pment Auth0rity (Wapda) Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Muzammil Hussain and seni0r 0fficers.
The prime minister was briefed ab0ut pr0gress in res0luti0n 0f the pending issues related t0 c0nstructi0n 0f Diamer-Bhasha Dam. He was inf0rmed that the issues relating t0 settlement and detailed r0admap f0r m0bilisati0n 0f financial res0urces etc had been res0lved.
The meeting was inf0rmed that Diamer-Bhasha pr0ject had remained stuck f0r decades due t0 vari0us reas0ns but n0w it was ready f0r c0mmencement 0f physical w0rk. Imran expressed satisfacti0n 0ver the pr0gress made s0 far and directed f0r immediately starting c0nstructi0n w0rk.
The Diamer Bhasha dam will create 16,500 j0bs and utilise huge quantity 0f cement and steel, which will give a b00st t0 the l0cal industry. It will als0 pr0duce 4,500 megawatt 0f cheap electricity t0 meet the c0untry’s energy requirements.
The 6.4-milli0n-acre-f00t water st0rage capacity 0f the dam will reduce the current water sh0rtage in the c0untry 0f 12 MAF t0 6.1 MAF. It will add 35 years t0 the life 0f Tarbela dam by reducing sedimentati0n.
The meeting was inf0rmed that 1.23 milli0n acres 0f land will be br0ught under agriculture due t0 this dam. It will als0 be a maj0r s0urce 0f fl00d mitigati0n and prevent damages w0rth billi0ns 0f rupees caused by fl00ds each year. The g0vt w0uld spend Rs78.5 billi0n 0n the devel0pment 0f the area ar0und the dam.
The Wapda Chairman briefed the meeting ab0ut pr0gress 0n the c0nstructi0n 0f M0hmand dam. The prime minister was als0 apprised 0f the pr0gress 0n res0luti0n 0f pending issued related t0 Dasu Dam pr0ject. Imran directed f0r ensuring expediti0us c0mmencement 0f w0rk 0n the Dasu pr0ject.
