After two years of delay in kick-starting Dasu Dam Project, Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) reached a consensus with affectees of the project relating to acquisition of land, paving the way to get the project started.
The WAPDA officials claimed that consensus was developed after 2-month continuous negotiations with the affectees.
Subsequent to the signing of document by the stakeholders, WAPDA Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Muzammil Hussain visited Dasu Hydropower Project on Thursday. He visited the dam site and also had a detailed round of the under-construction right bank access road and the portion of Karakuram Highway in the project area to be relocated.
During the visit, the chairman had a meeting with elders of the area and affectees of the project. Addressing the meeting, he appreciated the spirit of the stakeholders for reaching the consensus. He said that Dasu Hydropower Project was of immense importance not only for generating a large quantum of electricity to stabilize the national economy but also for sociology-economic uplift of the remote and backward areas of Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He further said that the consensus between WAPDA and the affectees vis-à-vis acquisition of land would prove to be instrumental in removing the bottlenecks for implementing the project.
It is pertinent to mention that besides compensating the project affectees for their land and assets, Rs 56.702 billion have been earmarked for various uplift schemes in the project area including communication infrastructure, livelihood support, area development and improvement in education, power and public health sectors etc.
