The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is constructing as many as eight projects in the water sector for optimal utilisation of the precious resource of water.
According to a spokesman for the authority, these projects include Diamer Basha Dam, Mohmand Dam, Kurram Tangi Dam (Stage-I), Nai Gaj Dam, Sindh Barrage, Dasu Hydropower Project (Stage-I), Tarbela 5th Extension and Keyal Khawar Hydropower Project.
He said that these projects are scheduled to be completed one by one from 2022 to 2028-29. He said that the completion of these projects will cumulatively add about 11 million acre feet to the gross water storage of the country pushing it from 13 MAF to 24 MAF, sufficient to irrigate another 1.6 million acres of land in the country.
The spokesman said that after the completion of these projects, the installed hydro power generation capacity of Pakistan will be doubled to cross 18,000 MW with an addition of 9000 MW.
It is pertinent to mention here that Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA) long-term foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings at ‘B-‘ and its outlook is stable.
