Asad Rafi Chandna, additional secretary of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has revealed that work has been resumed on the 2,160 MW Dasu Hydro Power Project and the project is expected to be completed by February 2025.
The civil works on the project had been halted after the July 14 terrorist attack in which 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals were killed. Chinese firm, China Gezhouba Group Corp had halted all operations after the attack and demanded compensation from Pakistan to the tune of $38 million (Rs 6.5 billion) for the dead and injured Chinese engineers working on Dasu Hydropower Project. But now it has been revealed that the issues have been amicably resolved and work is in progress on the major hydropower project.
During the meeting the committee was also informed that 15 percent physical progress on the Dasu power project has been achieved so far. The total cost of the project is Rs510.980 billion, while Rs56.514 billion was allocated in the budget for 2021-22.
While divulging about the other Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), it was said that the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme had a physical progress of 31 percent (expected completion 30 June 2023), Dasu hydropower project stage-1 (2160MW) had a progress of 15 percent (expected completion February 2025), Mangla Power station Refurbishment (310MW) had a physical progress of 48 percent (expected completion June 2024), Tarbela fifth extension (1410MW) had a physical progress of two percent (expected completion June 2025), Tarbela fourth extension had a physical progress of 99 percent (expected completion December 2022), Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (Dam part) had a physical progress of four percent (expected completion June 2029), Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (land acquisition and re-settlement) had a physical progress of 72 percent and Mohmand Multipurpose Dam project had a physical progress of nine percent (expected completion December 2025).
