ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: The World Bank has expressed willingness to lead an international consortium of financiers to build the 3600-megawatt controversial Kalabagh dam (KBD) at a cost of about $10 to 12 billion. Informed sources told Dawn the World Bank, however, believed that it would be good to achieve consensus before undertaking the KBD project.

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is said to have recently told the Pakistani authorities that the bank supported the country’s water sector development projects, including the KBD, and that once President Gen Pervez Musharraf succeeded in forging consensus, funding could be made available for the KBD.

Sources said leading international construction companies were warming up to participation in the construction of the multi-billion earth-filled dam, envisaged to be built over the River Indus in Mianwali district of Punjab.

Once the government formally decided to go ahead with the project, sources said, its first phase would be started by building eight hydel power plants of 300MW each to initially achieve 2,400mw power which would ultimately be stretched to 3,600mw with the provision for four other units of the same size.

“The planners have recommended 265 feet high earth-filled dam having 35 million cubic yard storage facility,” sources said.

They said since the KBD would inundate large part of the area where oil and gas exploration had not taken place, it had been decided to drill test wells in the catchment areas.

Some of the basic decisions about design of the dam are still reportedly pending and would have to be taken before taking up the project, including whether to have a stilling basin for the tunnel or fill up bucket to avoid the experience of Tarbela.