LAHORE: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Tuesday signed a Rs572 million agreement with China Railway First Group (CRFG) for construction of resettlement sites and Shatial museum – the components of Dasu Hydropower Project.

The contract includes construction of three sites for resettlement of the project affectees belonging to Choochang village and develop an open-air museum at archaeological site of Shatial to conserve pre-historic rock carvings. The project is scheduled to be completed in one and a half years.

Dasu Hydropower Project General Manager Haji Muhammad Farooq Ahmed and CRFG Deputy Director Zhang Yong signed the agreement on behalf of their organisations in a ceremony held here at Wapda House.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Zafar Mahmood said the Dasu project is of immense importance to cope with electricity shortages in the country. He urged the contractor to complete the works within the cost and stipulated time and in accordance with the quality standards laid down for the purpose.

CRFG Representative assured Wapda of meeting timelines and best quality.The federal government is implementing Dasu project in two stages. The World Bank is financing stage-I of the project with an IDA Credit of $588 million and an IDA PCG of $460 million. The 2160 MW-stage-I is scheduled to be completed in five years and will contribute more than 12 billion units of cheap, affordable and environment-friendly electricity to the national grid every year.

The project will not only add a sizeable quantum of low-cost electricity to the national grid but also provide relief to the consumers by reducing power tariff. To cap it all, the project will usher in a new era of socio-economic development in far-flung areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2015