Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) member (Water) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah requested IDB to come forward and provide funds for Diamer-Basha dam also.
Abbas Shah said that besides generating 4,500 MW hydro electricity and storing 8.1 million acre feet of water, the Diamer-Basha dam, on completion, would also help enhance the life of Tarbela reservoir by another 35 years and generate additional 1.1 billion units of electricity from existing Tarbela power house.
Abbas Shah further continued that evaluation process for pre-qualification of contractors for lot one, two and three was under way and would be completed in March 2009.
After the approval of pre-qualification of contractors -I amounting to PKR60 billion for resettlement by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council in November 2008, land acquisition for construction of the project had already started, Abbas Shah added.
