LAHORE, July 19: The Italian contractors of the Ghazi Barotha Hydel Project have been paid $45 million — $25 million as security and $20 million advance payment — for restarting their work after their Sept 11 interruption, GBHP chief resident engineer Abdul Khalaq Khan and the Pakistan Hydro Power chief executive Amjad Agha told a team of visiting journalists.

The Water and Power Development Authority had arranged the tour to the project site.

Engr Agha said both amounts would be recovered before completion of the project. He said the GBHP was 95 per cent complete. Its first unit would start operating by the middle of next year.

With an installed capacity of 1,450 MW, he said, the GBHP would work daily during the four hour power load peak. This will include the power deficient months of May and June. The first unit was scheduled to come online in June 2002. The project was delayed, however, when the Italian contractor discontinued work after Sept 11. Engr Agha said the work was in full swing. He hoped that the revised schedule would be met.

He said the project had three main components; a barrage situated at Ghazi village (a place near Tarbela), a 52-kilometre long power channel from Ghazi to Barotha, and a power complex.

He said resettlement of the displaced population had been completed and everybody affected by the project had been paid compensation. He said only 110 dwellings had been relocated to three resettlement villages near Isa, Feroze Banda and Barotha.

He said land was acquired at the market rate estimated by a land evaluation committee comprising representatives of those affected, the Wapda and non-government organizations.

About 200 people, including Japanese, British, American, Chinese and German nationals, were currently working for it.

Earlier, Brig Muhammad Zarreen showed the project site to the journalists from Kamra to Barotha.