MANSEHRA: The chairman of Wapda, retired Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani, on Thursday said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a committee to address issues related to enhanced self-managed relocation (ESMR) package and other concerns of the families, whose land was acquired for Dasu hydropower project.

“The prime minister has formed a committee to hear your grievances and resolve them,” he told a jirga of the affected families in Zaid Khawar in Dasu, the district headquarters of Upper Kohistan.

The Wapda chairman urged the participants of the jirga to call off their sit-in, assuring them that the committee would consider their demands and make decisions accordingly.

He said that matters related to payments under the ESMR package and implementation of local area development schemes (LADS) would also be taken up by the committee.

Sajjad Ghani says PM has formed panel to address their issues

The jirga subsequently announced to end the two-week long sit-in and extended support for timely completion of the mega energy project.

Earlier in the day, the Wapda chairman visited the site of Dasu hydropower project and reviewed ongoing construction work on the main dam and powerhouse. “We have achieved critical milestones and are on track to begin electricity generation by 2027,” he said.

The project team, including the general manager of the project, consultants and contractors briefed him. They said that construction work was ongoing at 20 different sites with several key targets recently completed and more milestones approaching completion.

Notably, excavation of the right and left abutments of the main dam has been completed. The extended right bypass tunnel and right-side open channel are ready for operation to manage excess water during the high-flow season.

They said that excavation of the main dam’s foundation was under way and was expected to be completed by August 2025. Excavation of the powerhouse is expected to complete by Jan 2026. The 25-kilometre KKH-1, featuring seven tunnels and three bridges, is likely to be completed by Feb 2026.

TOOLS: A consortium of public sector departments and non-governmental organisations on Thursday distributed high-tech equipment and tools among emergency response teams recently trained to manage emergencies and disasters in Torghar district.

“We have trained community members to effectively respond to disasters and emergencies. We formed their teams and provided them with essential equipment and advanced kits,” Safdar Zaman Qureshi, deputy commissioner of Torghar, told the distribution ceremony held in Judbah.

The event was attended by representatives of local governments, volunteers and officials from different departments.

The deputy commissioner said that the training and provision of emergency kits were carried out by Sungi Development Foundation, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Rescue 1122 under the guidance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department.

“We have provided modern equipment and kits to communities at village council level to empower them in handling emergencies,” said Mr Qureshi.

The district police officer, Raja Khan Afsar, described the initiative as a vital step towards enhancing community resilience and ensuring quicker and more organised local responses during emergencies and crises.

Mohammad Babar, the programme manager of Sungi, highlighted the challenges posed by Torghar’s mountainous terrain.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2025