ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Lt Gen(r) Muzammil Hussain has said that the share of hydropower would graduallybe increased in the total energy mix so as to reduce the cost of doingbusiness and facilitate the growth of business activities.
The WAPDA chairman said this while exchanging views with a delegation ofIslamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by its PresidentMuhammad Ahmed Waheed.
The chairman gave a detailed briefing to the ICCI delegation about thewater reservoir projects being constructed by the WAPDA across the country.He said that the construction activities on the strategically importantDiamer-Bhasha Dam project are picking up pace and that the project wouldprovide over 16,000 jobs to the engineers and local people, leading topoverty alleviation and socio-economic uplift of the local area.
He said that Diamer-Basha Dam is at the highest point of the world with awater storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) and power generationcapacity of 4,500MW.
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“This dam is a vital project for water, food and energy security ofPakistan and will go a long way in stabilizing the economy,” he opined,adding that the dam would produce low-cost energy that would boost thecountry’s industrial and agricultural productivity.
He also briefed the ICCI delegation about the under-construction hydropowerprojects including Keyal Khawar, Dasu, Khurram Tangi dams. He said thatMohmad Dam, Bunji Dam and Tarbela-5th Extension are also ready forconstruction and all these dams would be instrumental in generating cheaphydropower in the country.
