Diamar Bhasha Dam “life-line” of Pakistan, says PM Yousaf Raza Gillani

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday that the World’s highest Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) Diamar Bhasha Dam on the Indus River would be a “life-line” for the national economy.

Addressing in the stone laying ceremony of the Pakistan’s gigantic hydal power generation project, the PM said that the production of the 4500 MW of electricity and storage capacity of over 8 million acre feet of water would help meet the country’s future power and agricultural requirements. The Dam will produce 19 billion units of electricity in a year and enhance the age of the Tarbela Dam by 35 years.

The Prime minister assures the nation that he had consulted with the various stakeholders to ensure the hurdle-less completion of the Dam that would require US 12 billion dollars and complete in eight years.

PM praised the sacrifices of the local people, who provided their ancestral lands for the great national cause. But, he said, the project would help to relieve their deprivation in coming years. He also appreciated the people of the Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir to stand in the favour of this national project.

PM said the Pakistan People’s Party was carrying the vision of the late Prime Minister Shaheed Zulifkar Ali Bhutto and Banazir Butto and this project was the result of that vision. He also recalled the political reforms that two leaders made in their regimes, particularly of 1974-75 Northern Areas Framework Ordinance, which game all the agencies the status of Districts.

PM praised the contributions of the International donors for the successful start of the project. He also said we have made agreements with china for the construction of the 165 km Jaglot-Skardu and 135 km long Jaglot-Sazin.

After the construction of the Mangla Dam in 1967 and Tarbela Dam in 1974, the Bhasha Dam would add another gignatic hydal power generation reservior in the energy and the agricultural sector of the country. The height of the Bhasha Dam is 272 meters, and is about 300 upstream the Tarbela Dam. On expected completion in 2019, it would produce about two billion rupees of electricity and recover its expenses in seven years.

Government has issued Rs. 5 billion to the Government of the Khayber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltisitan for the acquisition of the land. The Government will also issue Rs. 18 billion this year to start the construction work.