ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit the construction site of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project in Gilgit-Baltistan today.
The prime minister will review construction activities and there he will be given a briefing on Diamer- Bhasha Dam.
Chairman WAPDA among other relevant officials, Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner will accompany the prime minister during the visit. The prime minister will also be shown a special documentary on the Bhasha Dam project and water efficiency.
Diamer-Bhasha Dam, a vital project for water, food, and energy security of Pakistan, is being constructed on the Indus River, 315 Kilometer (Km) upstream of Tarbela Dam, 180Km downstream of Gilgit, and 40Km downstream of Chilas town.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2028 to 2029. The project has three core objectives namely water storage for agriculture, flood mitigation, and hydel power generation. The dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) to irrigate 1.23 million acres of additional land.
The project with an installed power generation capacity of 4500 megawatts (MW) will provide more than 18 billion units per year to the National Grid.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 15 said the Diamer-Bhasha Dam will generate low-cost environment-friendly hydel power in the country.
The prime minister arrived in Gilgit-Baltistan to kick off the mega construction work on the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
He was accompanied by CPEC Chairman and Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting, Asim Saleem Bajwa.
Addressing a public gathering in Chilas after visiting the site of the dam, the prime minister said Diamer Bhasha Dam will be the third-largest dam in the country. He said it was envisaged 40 years ago but work on the project is being started today.
He said the government will neither have to import fuel for this project nor will it affect the climate, nor will it add to the global warming problems of the country.
He said Pakistan has huge potential for hydel power which needs to be tapped and the government will launch other hydel power projects. During the 1990s decisions were made to generate electricity through imported fuel caused current account deficit, he added.
The prime minister said Diamer-Bhasha Dam will change the fate of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan by creating employment opportunities for them. He said the tourism sector in the region will also get promoted with the implementation of the mega project.
