ISLAMABAD (Lord Media): The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources was informed by WAPDA Chairman that billions of liters of water are wasted annually, necessitating effective measures to prevent this loss. The meeting was chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan.
The WAPDA Chairman revealed that a fake bank guarantee was submitted by the contractor for the Nai Gaj Dam project, taking five years to verify, which led WAPDA to approach the Supreme Court. So far, 23 billion rupees have been spent on this project.
WAPDA officials also disclosed plans to construct the Harpo Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan with a capacity of 35 megawatts, costing 34 billion rupees. This project will receive external funding and support from the Government of Pakistan.
For the Diamer Bhasha Dam, 94 billion rupees were needed, but the government has only provided 10 billion rupees. Meanwhile, 1 billion U.S. dollars is available for the Dasu project, but funding is required in rupees.
Discussing the Neelum Jhelum project, the WAPDA Chairman stated that due to faults in the tunnels, the project had to be halted, although it has covered 80% of its cost. The project is expected to be reactivated in 2028.
The meeting also discussed the dam safety report prepared with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources informed that the draft bill on dam safety will be finalized soon.
The issue of encroachments on the Ravi River was also addressed, with Punjab’s Chief Engineer stating that encroachments have been removed. However, the Committee Chairman insisted on accurate information being provided to the committee.
