The World Bank has indicated that it is willing to support the Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA’s) development programme, Vision 2025, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Private Electric Power Co (PEPCO), Munawwar Basir Ahmad. PEPCO is an umbrella organisation for WAPDA’s twelve corporate companies.
Vision-2025 is intended to provide a jump-start to the national economy in Pakistan. However the World Bank expects some of the investment to come from the Pakistan Government and from WAPDA. Financial support is being solicited from China, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Vision-2025 is a three-phase programme. Under the first phase, WAPDA will undertake engineering studies for the Basha dam and Thal reservoir projects as well as six irrigation schemes – Kachi Canal in Balochistan, Chashma Right Bank canal in the North West Frontier Province, Greater Thal in Punjab, and the Riverine area development and the Rani and Thar canals and the Sehwan barrage in Sindh. Total cost of these projects has been estimated to be Rs750 billion, with the feasibility studies costing Rs1.9 billion.
The first phase studies were authorised by the Pakistan government in August last year. In January this year the second and third phases were also sanctioned. These include plans to undertake studies into surface storage and hydropower projects at a cost of Rs 2.4 billion. The total cost of a further 34 projects being contemplated under both phases one and two is put at $32 billion.
A number of smaller hydropower projects among these 34 have been given priority under phase one of the scheme. These include the $80 million Malakand III, the $110 million Allai Khwar, the $104 million Golen Gol, the $110 million New Bong and the $86 million Khan Khawar. Further hydropower schemes and a number of thermal schemes are envisaged under phase two, including $2.9 billion earmarked for combined cycle projects.
Some of Pakistan’s major hydropower plants are suffering because of reservoir silting. WAPDA estimates that by 2010, Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma will have lost 34 per cent of their reservoir capacities. The current hydro:thermal mix in Pakistan is 28:72. WAPDA would prefer this ratio to be reversed.