Dam renamed as Bhasha-Diamer: PM announces uplift plans for NAs
BASHA, Feb 23: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, agreeing to the long-standing demand of the people of Diamer district, announced on Thursday renaming of the Bhasha dam as Diamer-Bhasha dam.
He made the announcement at a public gathering in Bhasha village, 177kms south of Gilgit, after arriving there to visit the dam site. The gathering was also attended by members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council, the district councils and the Peace Committee and heads of local jirgas,
The prime minister also visited the site of the dam to be built over the River Indus and attended a briefing on the dam project by Wapda officials.
He told the gathering compensation would be paid to people to be displaced by the dam project and the local people would be given preference in jobs to be created by the mega project.
He added the local people would be imparted technical training to absorb them in the work force required for the project.
“Your future generations will reap the benefit from this project,” he told the people and asked them not to pay heed to propaganda against the dam project.
Referring to a dispute between the Northern Areas and the NWFP over the dam site, Mr Aziz allayed the concerns of the local people over the demarcation of the dam site and assured them: “No injustice will be done (to the Northern Areas).”
The prime minister said that the dam royalty would be paid according to the provisions of the constitution.
He said a new portion of the Karakoram Highway would be constructed and its entire stretch up to the border with China widened.
The dam to be completed in seven years period will require realignment of the highway, a 100-km stretch of which will be submerged after the dam is filled.
The $6.5 billion dollar dam will generate 4500 megawatts of electricity and have a storage capacity of 7.3 million acre feet of water, the prime minister was told at the Wapda briefing.
The dam will be a highest roller compacted concrete dam with an estimated lifespan of 100 years, owing to its design that prevents silting.—APP
Our Gilgit Correspondent adds: Prime Minister Aziz announced early lifting of the ban on recruitment in government departments in the Northern Areas and said the residents of Diamer district would be given priority in jobs created by the dam project.
