Pakistan’s two major hydropower projects, Mohmand Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project, have witnessed a combined cost increase of around Rs. 1.607 trillion, pushing their total estimated construction cost from nearly Rs. 800 billion to approximately Rs. 2.4 trillion, according to documents presented by the Ministry of Water Resources in the National Assembly.
The documents showed that the estimated cost of the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project increased from Rs. 309.558 billion to Rs. 665.743 billion, reflecting a rise of Rs. 356.18 billion.
According to the ministry, the original cost estimate had been approved under the project’s PC-I at the time the contract was awarded. However, a revised PC-I with the updated estimate is currently awaiting approval from the Ministry of Planning.
Meanwhile, the Dasu Hydropower Project recorded a far larger increase in projected costs. The ministry said the project’s cost had risen from Rs. 486.093 billion under its original 2014 PC-I to Rs. 1.737 trillion, representing an increase of Rs. 1.251 trillion.
According to the documents, the second revised PC-I of the Dasu project received approval from the National Economic Council in December 2025.
The updated figures also showed a significant increase in allocations for local communities affected by the projects. For Mohmand Dam, development funding for local communities increased from an initial Rs. 160 million to Rs. 4.5 billion under the revised estimates.
Similarly, allocations for communities affected by the Dasu project increased from Rs. 7 billion to Rs. 57 billion. The Dasu Hydropower Project is one of Pakistan’s largest planned hydropower projects and forms part of broader efforts to address long-term energy shortages and reduce dependence on imported fuels.
Mohmand Dam, meanwhile, is considered a strategically important multi-purpose project expected to support flood mitigation, irrigation needs, drinking water supply, and electricity generation.