LAHORE: As the construction activities on the Diamer-Bhasha dam are picking up pace, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has commenced the process for providing thousands of jobs to the locals of Diamer and Gilgit-Baltistan for poverty alleviation in the area and socioeconomic uplift its people.

The authority on Sunday advertised 124 vacancies ranging from basic pay scale (BPS) 6 to 16, against which only the people belonging to district Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan will be recruited.

Earlier, Wapda also advertised 179 vacancies of BPS-14 to 20 and some 317 vacancies for security personnel. The authority says the eligible candidates hailing from the project area and Gilgit-Baltistan will be given priority against these vacancies as well since progress of the locals is amongst its priorities

“Besides providing employment to the locals on priority, a sum of Rs78.5bn is also being spent for resettlement and confidence-building measures (CBMs) for the people leading towards socioeconomic development in the area,” said a spokesman for Wapda in a press release. He said 44 development schemes for improving the existing water supply, irrigation, health and education infrastructures had also been launched and added that construction of the Chilas Cadet College under the CBMs was near completion which would help provide quality education to the local students.

“In addition, Thak Hydropower Project of 3MW, a part of Diamer-Bhasha project is also about to be completed to meet the electricity requirements of the area,” he claimed.

Diamer-Bhasha Dam is being constructed on the river Indus, 315km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 180km downstream of Gilgit and 40km downstream of Chilas town. Its gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4,500MW will go a long way in stabilizing the economy.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2020