Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources headed by Shamim Afridi was recently informed that the additional cost (PKR 18 billion) for the Dasu Hydropower project’s land acquisition would be borne by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) from its own equity and local government financing, according to news sources.
The committee was also informed that the development of the project would commence in two phases and the plant will have a total generation capacity of 4,320 megawatts.
The cost of land acquisition has already increased from PKR 19 billion to PKR 37 billion and 7.5% of the total 9,875 acres of the total land mass required for the project’s construction has been acquired.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government recently acquired 740 acres for the project of the total 9,875 acres. At least 7,888 acres are required for the reservoir area, 866 acres for the civil work, and 1,121 acres are needed for the preparatory work.
Meanwhile, the committee expressed its concern over the slow development pace on the project and sought an explanation from the KP government regarding the matter.
The committee was informed that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the land acquisition rates in 2015, but the landowners rejected those prices. To negotiate the new rates, the KP government had constituted a committee.
In response, the members directed the officials concerned to resolve the land-acquisition concerns on an urgent basis.
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