The government signed a Rs442 billion contract with a joint venture of China Power and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam. Chinese state-run firm holds 70 per cent and the FWO, a commercial arm of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, 30pc share in the consortium. Signed contract covers construction of a diversion system, main dam, access bridge and the 21MW Tangir hydropower project.
Construction work on the pending and long-delayed 4500 megawatt Diamer-Bhasha Dam will start in the coming months. The process of land acquisition, resettlement of the local population, and financing of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams were discussed in a meeting called by Chairman WAPDA Lt. Gen (R) Muzammil Husain. Diamer-Bhasha dam, that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in May will incur a total cost of Rs. 1,400 billion.