WAPDA Receives Pre-Qualification Bids for Diamer-Bhasha Dam

In the wake of Dam fund initiated by Chief Justice and extended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, which has secured Rs. 3 billion according to the Central Bank, some foreign and local companies have come up with pre-qualification bids for the construction of the dam. Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) received five bids on Wednesday through international competitive bidding.

“The pre-qualification bids will be evaluated in accordance with the bid documents and the relevant procurement rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC),” said the officials.

The Diamer-Bhasha dam is a 272-metre high dam and will cost about $12 to 14 billion. It is a roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam with a capacity to store 8.1 MAF water. It is a multi-purpose project which can store water, mitigate floods and generate power. It will be located across River Indus about 40-kilometre downstream of Chillas town.

Current energy generated by hydropower stations is going to increase by 2.5 billion units per annum with the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam. The existing hydropower stations include Tarbela, Ghazi Barotha, Jinnah and Chashma.

The project in question will generate 4500 MW of energy and the annual outcome will be 18 billion units of low-cost and environment-friendly electricity. It has the potential to enhance the life of Tarbela by another 35 years. It will also increase annual energy generation of future hydropower projects another 7.5 billion units. The projects in line include Dasu, Pattan and Thakot dams.

The Water and Power Development Authority has set its foot ahead for timely commencement of this project after the government displayed its resolve for the project while analysts hold a view that it is a mega project hence donations would not be enough for the project to reach the point of operation.