PAKISTAN’S WATER AND POWER Development Authority (WAPDA) plans to build four hydro projects, with a total capacity of 1000MW at a cost of US$1.45B.

The projects, for which the government’s Ministry of Water and Power has already completed feasibility studies, are Allai Khwar, Khan Khwar, Daral Khwar and Battal Khwar.

WAPDA said that it will start construction on the projects by the end of the year, and that they will be completed by 2006.

The Ministry of Water and Power has also started studies to identify sites for the construction of small dams all over the country to meet local and national water requirements.

The Ministry has assembled a group of experts to oversee an engineering and feasibility study for the Bhasha dam in the North West Frontier Province, the Thal development in Punjab and associated schemes such as the Karachi canal in Balochistan, and the Sehwan barrage complex and Rainee canal project in Sindh.