LAHORE, June 30: The engineering design and tender documents of the multi-purpose Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project have been completed and related studies and details have been reviewed by an international panel of experts.

This was stated by Wapda chairman Shakil Durrani during a presentation on the project held at Wapda House on Monday. Project consultants and senior officers of Water and Power Ministry and Planning Commission attended the presentation.

Mr Durrani said that Diamer-Bhasha dam was a project of immense importance and it would be the largest project ever executed in any sector in the country.

He said that Rs200 million had been allocated for the project in the federal budget for 2008-09 and the pre-qualification process of contractors had already been initiated.

Mr Durrani said that construction work on the project would begin next year after international biddings and efforts would be made to ensure the highest standard of quality and safety.

He said the project would meet the increasing demand for water and electricity in the country.

The consultants said that the 272-meter-high Diamer-Bhasha dam would be the highest Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) dam in the world with more than 100-kilometre-long reservoir. The live storage capacity of the dam will be 6.4maf and the project will generate 4,500MW of electricity.