*ISLAMABAD: Officers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government have announcedcontribution of their three-day salary to the fund for the construction ofDiamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams.*
According to reports, fund for the construction of the dams has beenestablished under directive of Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar toovercome shortage of water and power in the country.
Meanwhile, chairman Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Lt GenMuzammil Hussain (retd) briefed Prime Minister Justice (Retd) Nasir-ul-Mulkabout water, dams and hydropower projects in Pakistan.
The prime minister, in the meeting, was also apprised of WAPDA projects,particularly Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dams. The prime minister was briefedthat construction work on Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dams will be started infiscal year 2018-19.
Diamer Bhasha Dam Project has a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 MAF andpower generation capacity of 4500 MW. Likewise, Mohmand Dam HydropowerProject will store 1.2 MAF water and generate 800 MW electricity.
“The 1410 MW- Tarbela 5th extension, the 2160 MW-Stage II of Dasu, the 7100MW-Bunji and the Stage II of multipurpose Kurram Tangi Dam are among theready-for-construction projects,” he said.
Dilating upon the efforts made by WAPDA to meet the increasing requirementsof water and electricity, the chairman said that WAPDA completed four megaprojects from August 2017 onwards to irrigate 72, 000 acres of virgin landin Dera Bugti, Balochistan, and add 2487 MW of hydel electricity to thenational grid. These projects included Phase 1 of Kachhi Canal, Golen Gol,Tarbela 4th Extension and Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project.