37,000 families to be displaced by Bhasha Dam project

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Zafar Bhutta
ISLAMABAD: The construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam will displace around 37,000 families, German Company Lehmar has informed in the final draft of detailed engineering design of the dam.

Sources in Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) told Daily Times Saturday that Lehmar has submitted final detailed engineering design to the authority.

The company has recommended setting up nine model villages near Gilgit to accommodate these affected families. The company has also recommended allotting five Marlas for residence per family and six canals to one family for agriculture purpose.

The company has also informed the dam power generation capacity would be 4,500 MW per day whereas its water storage capacity would stand at 7.5 million acre feet (MAF). Dam would have four turbines and two powerhouses.

Sources said the royalty would be distributed between main stakeholders, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Northern Areas. For the royalty, the power plants of 1,150 MW would be set up and income from these power plants would be aimed at royalty purposes.

The dam would be at 1,160 feet above the sea level and 360 feet from the river level. Ten feet storage capacity would be specified to handle the situation if the glacier splits. Lehmar in the detailed engineering design has indicated cost of $ 8.505 billion at present against the earlier projected cost of $ 6.5 billion in year 2005.

They said Lehmar had a group of companies including Pakistan based NDC, PEC and Borquab that were engaged to issue the final design of the Diamer Bhasha dam. The contract of these companies had been ended but they would remain in by December 30 to help WAPDA.

Government has allocated Rs 200 million in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2008-09 for the project. However the government would seek major chunk of the financing from different international financing including World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

China and Argentina have also shown interest in the Bhasha dam project. Government will send the final detailed engineering design to International Financers and these countries to seek financing for the project, it added.

Sources said that government has already placed request before the Chinese government to join the Bhasha dam project and China has offered Pakistan to hire a company for the financing. Chinese Development Bank has also assured Pakistan to provide financing for the dam project.

Sources said, that if China joins the project it would want to take award of the construction of the dam project because it has been the policy of China to take project for the construction for which it provides financing

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2008_pg5_1