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US considering to assist in Diamer-Bhasha dam construction
The United States is considering a Pakistani request to the international community to support the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
Replying to a question, a state department spokesperson said that the US recognizes that such a hydroelectric project would help meet many of Pakistan's long term energy and water needs, and advance social and economic development in the country.
"We are considering how we can best support Pakistan's request, as are other bilateral donors and multilateral financial institutions. No final decisions have been made. We will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan to determine how best to use U.S. civilian assistance" the spokesperson said.
She said that the United States has long supported development projects that enhance the daily lives of people throughout the region. In doing so, the US always take into account a project's potential regional impact.
The spokesperson pointed out that as part of a broader signature energy program announced in 2009, the United States has provided support to complete the final phases of two hydroelectric dams in Pakistan: the Satpara Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Gomal Zam Dam in South Waziristan.
"We are considering doing more in the sector", the spokesperson added.
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ADB considers options to finance Diamer-Bhasha Dam
The ADB also agreed to provide counter guarantees to investors for investing in wind power generation projects in Pakistan, Mirzanda said.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is considering various options to finance multi billion dollars Diamer-Bhasha Dam project. This was said by Jaun Miranda, Director General while talking to the Federal Minister for Water and Power, Syed Naveed Qamar here today. A three member ADB delegation called by him here on Thursday. The ADB also agreed to provide counter guarantees to investors for investing in wind power generation projects in Pakistan, Mirzanda said.
The wind power generation projects will generate cheaper electricity in the country. Miranda said that the bank is already providing financial assistance for power distribution enhancement project and will continue its support for the project in order to improve energy efficiency. The transmission and distribution system and energy loss reduction programme is also being funded by ADB for all DISCOs and Mirzanda said that the bank was ready to expand its funding for replacing obsolete distribution networks.
The bank will provide financial assistance for free distribution of 30 million energy saver bulbs (CFLs) in the country. These energy savers will help reducing peak-hour demand by over 1,000 MW. He also said that the bank will fully support the energy conservation initiatives of the government.
The Minister for Water and Power appreciated the role of ADB for improvement in energy sector and said that the support of the bank for energy efficiency programme will help to save the energy and reduction in the transmission and distribution losses.
The minister also thanked for providing counter guarantee facility for wind power projects. The minister also briefed the delegation regarding new energy sector improvement initiatives like Operation and Maintenance contract of Gencos through the private sector and conversion of existing IPPs to cheaper fuels. He also asked ADB to finance mega water and power sector projects to end the crises in these sectors.
The ADB director also discussed the current status of power sector reforms, energy efficiency programmes, central power purchasing agency, and independence of Discos. The Minister also assured that all the efforts will be made to timely complete the existing projects being funded by ADB.
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US support for Pakistan dam could help stem flow of bad blood
Washington weighs up backing huge Daimer Bhasha project as a means of improving battered relations with Pakistan
The US is considering financial support for a $12bn dam in Pakistan in an attempt to improve its battered image in the country.
The Daimer Bhasha dam would provide enough electricity to end Pakistan's crippling shortages. It is said its reservoir would hold so much water it could have averted last year's devastating floods.
Washington has not yet made a final decision on partial funding of the dam, but US money would be crucial in securing other international finance, especially from the Asian Development Bank.
"Getting involved in a long-term project like this is very compelling for us," said a senior US official. "This is the project we're spending our time assessing.
"This would demonstrate that Pakistan is the kind of country where you can do large, complex infrastructure projects. It's not all flood relief and sacks of flour."
At the end of last week, President Asif Ali Zardari met a team from the Asian Development Bank "to start the process of financing Daimer Bhasha dam as the project has been approved at all internal fora of the country", according to a statement from his office.
Although Washington is Pakistan's biggest international donor by far, the support has done little to improve perceptions of the US, which is seen as the enemy by many Pakistanis – a view exacerbated by continuing drone attacks in tribal areas and the killing of Osama bin Laden earlier this year. The dam, which harks back to similar projects supported by Washington in the 1960s and 1970s, could help reset relations between the two countries.
India is likely to object to US support for the dam, as it is located in the disputed Kashmir region. Opposition may also come from critics in the US Congress, who have called for all aid to be cut off after Bin Laden was found hiding in Pakistan.
The dam, on the Indus river, would provide 4,500MW of cheap, green energy, making up for a shortfall causing up to 12 hours of power cuts a day across Pakistan. The reservoir would be 50 miles long.
Shakil Durrani, chairman of the water and power development authority, said Islamabad had approved the dam project and he was confident of US backing.
"If we had a reservoir the size of Daimer Bhasha the floods last summer would not have occurred," he said. "This would be the largest project ever undertaken in Pakistan. It is our top priority."
Analyst Mosharraf Zaidi agreed the dam could boost relations. "The overwhelming aid transfers from the US have been to the military and whatever little has come for the civilian sector has not developed as far as the rhetoric has," he said.
"Daimer Bhasha would be tremendously good for Pakistan and would show that the US is invested in a long-term relationship with Pakistan, no matter how bad things look today."
US aid to Pakistan increased to $1.5bn a year under the Obama administration, but has been widely dismissed in the country as going mostly to consultants and lacking focus. It remains unclear how much of this cash has actually arrived in Pakistan since the new aid programme began in 2009.
"US aid is neither visible nor tangible," said Tariq Fatemi, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington. "Unless the people of Pakistan can identify large, visible projects that make a difference to people's lives, the US is not going to get the kind of appreciation that it believes it deserves."
The US official said Washington had spent $2bn on civilian assistance since October 2009, including $550m on flood relief last year, though that came from a separate fund.
Daimer Bhasha would take around eight years to build. Pakistani authorities plan to shortlist contractors later this year.
The Indian embassy in Islamabad pointed to a statement issued by the Indian government in 2006, after the project was first proposed, which insisted that the dam was "in territory that is part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India by virtue of its accession to it in 1947".
Relations between the US and Pakistan have been plagued by accusations in Washington that Islamabad is playing a "double game" by supporting Afghan insurgents, while Pakistan believes it has been bullied into acting against its own interests.
The unilateral US raid that killed Bin Laden in May humiliated Pakistan's powerful military, all but halting anti-terrorism co-operation between the two countries.
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Gilani terms US 12 billion dlr Diamir Bhasha “life-line” of Pakistan
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Tuesday termed the US 12 billion dollars Diamir-Bhasha Dam project a “life-line” for the national economy, that would help meet country’s future agricultural and power requirements. He was addressing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the world’s highest concrete dam on River Indus that would generate 19 billion units of electricity annually and enhance life of Tarbela Dam by over 35 years.
Prime Minister Gilani termed it a historic day and appreciated the people of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and their political leadership for standing united to initiate the mega project.He said the gigantic project would generate 4500 MW electricity and store over 8 Million Acre Feet of water to meet country’s growing power and irrigation needs, and was the outcome of consensus amongst all stakeholders.
He said taking clue from the fate of the Kalabagh Dam that fell victim to some politicians who kept on playing to the gallery, he decided to take all stakeholders on board.
Gilani paid rich tributes to the political acumen of all political parties for backing the project. The Prime Minister also lauded the local people who had to sacrifice their ancestral lands for a great national cause.
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the international donors for the project. He regretted that had the work on the project started earlier, it would have gone a long way in alleviating the sense of deprivation of the people.
Gilani said the dam was the outcome of the vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and recalled that in 1974-75 Northern Areas Framework Ordinance was promulgated and all agencies were given the status of Districts.
He said Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had added Ghizer and Ganche as new districts and launched work on the Pak-China symbol of Karakoram Highway.
Gilani, referring to the pointing of a complaint about payment of compensation said a committee has already worked on the matter and if there were any more issues, these need to be resolved by sitting together with the leadership of the GB. He also asked the Chief Minister GB to accommodate elected members from MQM in the government so that they can play a positive role in the development of their area.
He said agreements had been entered with China on the construction of 165 km Jaglot-Skardu and 135 km long Jaglot-Sazin.
Gilani announced Rs 200 million for District Diamir, setting up of Engineering faculty at the KKH University, that would be later upgraded to a separate engineering university. He directed setting up of a Cadet College at Chillas He announced an additional amount of Rs one billion to the Government of GB for KKH and other roads besides the already allocated amount of Rs 11.5 billion.
The Prime Minister also directed Wapda to initiate work on upgradation of three DHQ hospitals at Chilas and Skardu, a public school at Ganche, sponsorship of GB scouts, where local people of Diamir Bhasha be given preference.
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Progress on Diamer-Bhasha Dam
‘Exchange of MoU with ADB today’
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Shakil Durrani called on Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani here on Monday and informed him that the government was going to exchange Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Asian Development Bank on Tuesday (today) on Diamer-Bhasha Dam, which was a major development for the project.
The ADB has also agreed to become the financial adviser for the dam, which augurs well for the hydropower mega project. He said that no mega project was taken up during the last 40 years.
The chairman informed that the groundbreaking ceremony of the project by the prime minister in October this year along with its earlier approval by the Council of Common Interests gave the requisite confidence to the international financial institutions that there was no going back and the government was committed to undertake the project. He said that the project would not only add 4,500 megawatts (MW) power to the national grid but would also prove to be a lifeline for the agriculture and industrial sectors.
The chairman thanked the prime minister for his directives to the Ministry of Finance to release $100 million to the National Highway Authority for the widening and improvement of the Karakoram Highway from Tha Kot to the site of the dam. It is of fundamental importance because in absence of the road, the heavy machinery for the project cannot be transported to the site of the project, the chairman said.
The chairman said that the dam’s capacity of 8 MAF water and power generation capacity of 4,500 MW would help to bring industrial and agriculture revolution in the country besides creating tens of thousands of job opportunities. The chairman said that the project would recover the entire cost within seven years.
The chairman said that the project would produce electricity worth $2 billion annually besides sufficient water storage capacity for the agriculture to irrigate 2 million acres of land in the country. It is easy to imagine the boost the agriculture sector would get when two million acres of land would start giving yield and its consequential staggering social impact, he stated.
He further said that the dam would also increase the life of Tarbela Dam for another 35 years because the downstream silting would be reduced to a considerable extent. The chairman also informed the prime minister that there was at present sufficient water in the water reservoirs required for the power generation and for the Rabi crops. At present, water reservoirs are filled with 6 MAF, which is almost double the water available during the last 10 years. The inauguration of the Mangla Dam Raising by Gilani had made the real difference.
The chairman said that during the past 10 years water reservoirs stood at an average of 3.5 MAF, which resulted into less power generation and less water for the agriculture sector, affecting the agriculture and industrial production. The chairman also requested the prime minister to inaugurate the Khan Khawr Hydropower Project with 72 MW capacity, District Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is 265 kilometres (kms) from Islamabad on the silk route. Jinnah Hydropower Project with the capacity of 96 MW, district Mianwali, is also complete and ready for the inauguration by the prime minister, the chairman said. The project is located on the right side of Jinnah Barrage on Indus River about 5km downstream of Kalabagh.
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ADB to play key role in Bhasha Dam’s financing
“Diamer-Bhasha dam is the most complex and comprehensive project the ADB has ever handled,” said ADB energy division director for the Central and West Asia Department Rune Stroem.
Without a firm commitment yet on the size of financing, the Asian Development Bank has decided to play a key role in the development of Diamer-Bhasha dam as its senior lender, co-financier and financial adviser to make the $12 billion project bankable for lenders, export credit agencies and contractors.
At the conclusion of a week-long visit to Pakistan, ADB energy division director for the Central and West Asia Department Rune Stroem told journalists that Pakistan and the ADB had agreed to process the project together so that its structure was acceptable to international financial institutions, commercial banks and export credit agencies.
The ADB’s country director for Pakistan, Werner E. Liepach, said the bank did not have a loan programme for Pakistan at the moment because of the absence of an IMF programme or a letter of comfort. “But that does not mean the ADB has suspended programme loans to Pakistan,” he added.
He said the ADB had planned to provide $450 million project loans to Pakistan this year, which was now expected to be about $520 million because of higher requirement for flood-related assistance. Of this, the bank has already disbursed about $502 million until last week.
He said the Pakistan government had also sought a $1 billion loan to resolve inter-corporate circular debt, but neither the plan for resolving the chronic problems had been discussed nor had the bank made any commitment.
“The ADB will act as a senior lender, co-financier and financial adviser for the project to make it bankable for the rest of the world,” Mr Stroem said, adding that the two sides would finalise a draft of MoU (memorandum of understanding) this week to define the role of the government and the ADB.
He dispelled an impression created by a statement of the water and power ministry about the signing of an MoU this week. He explained that the two sides would possibly finalise a draft MoU this week. Moreover, he added, the ADB had not committed any amount or mode of financing because the structure of the financing package had not yet been finalised.
Mr Stroem said Wapda had done a remarkable job at the engineering side of the project and the ADB would work on human and social aspects of the project. “The government and Wapda authorities have also done good work on resettlement of people to be displaced by the project, but there are still a lot of gaps on mitigating environmental effects to international standards.”
He said the government would have to make a lot of effort in resolving the revenue sharing dispute between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said there was going to be a lot of debate on revenue sharing and resettlement issues.
In reply to a question, Mr Stroem said the construction of the multi-purpose dam was a marathon race and the challenge for the ADB was to make it bankable for the international world through a financial package that should be attractive to the international financial institutions, export credit agencies and commercial banks. “Diamer-Bhasha dam is the most complex and comprehensive project the ADB has ever handled.”
He said while international financial institutions like the ADB would provide most of the foreign component of financing for civil works, equipment supplies would have to be covered by export credit agencies and the financing gap in civil works would have to be raised through commercial financing. The cost of land acquisition and resettlement would be provided by the government. The ADB would lead the syndicate of international lenders, he said.
About the impact of global recession, he said most possibly it would go in favour of Pakistan. He explained that the international market was not saturated with similar projects owing to the recession that would ensure shorter delivery time for equipment and material. He said prices of international inputs were currently down and leading companies had a lot of idle people who could be employed in Pakistan.
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Diamer-Bhasha project: Islamabad moves to quell dam boundary dispute
As Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) continue to clash over the Diamer-Bhasha dam boundary, the federal government has summoned the chief ministers of both regions to Islamabad in order to work out a solution to the dispute, sources revealed on Monday.
“The chief ministers of both regions have been summoned to Islamabad for a meeting with the prime minister,” an official in the G-B Assembly said.
The K-P government had written a letter last year to the prime minister, asking him to help ‘K-P get its right’ over the 4,500-megawatt dam.
Anticipating a tough stance from G-B, the K-P government has done its homework before presenting its case at the meeting due next week, sources said. K-P has a claim over about eight kilometres of land near the Diamer-Bhasha dam which is being built on Indus River, about 300 kilometres upstream of Tarbela dam and about 40 kilometres downstream of Chilas Town, the headquarters of G-B’s Diamer district.
The federal government has asked the K-P government not to take the issue to the Supreme Court, and to instead find an out-of-court solution to the issue.
The situation turned serious after the K-P Assembly passed a resolution last year, claiming that eight kilometres of land on the right side of the dam was part of K-P. The move infuriated the G-B government, which constituted a committee including all sitting lawmakers from Diamer valley. The committee, however, traced documents signed between the representatives of Kohistan and Diamer during 1947, which had declared the land part of Diamer. The G-B Assembly later passed a unanimous resolution, rejecting K-P’s claim.
Likewise, the K-P government refers the issue to the 1955 Boundary Commission report which suggests that eight kilometres of land near the dam is part of K-P. In other words, if K-P’s claim is accepted, it will get 50% of the royalty.
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Diamer-Bhasha Dam to be completed in seven years, Senate told
Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar on Friday informed the Senate that physical work on Diamer Bhasha Dam has already been started and it would be completed in seven years.
Responding to different supplementary questions raised by Senators during Question Hour, he said that land for construction of colonies and other infrastructure has also been acquired and payment was also made to some victims in the current fiscal year. Remaining payment would be made during the next fiscal year, he added.
He said that Wapda has prepared a master plan to construct a number of storages including Diamer Bhasha, Munda and Kurram Tangi dams in near future besides early completion of Mangla Raising Project and Gomal Zam dams. Wapda was also undertaking construction of small and medium dams in all the four provinces. The minister said that some funds were released last week for Kurram Tangi dam and would be completed in next three years. The USAid has also shown interest to provide assistance for the project, he added.
He said soon consultant would be appointed for the Munda Dam. To another question, the minister said that Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) was created in May 2003 and Rs 893.53 million was allocated under various budgetary heads during the last 8 years to it.
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US, ADB agree to finance Diamer-Bhasha Dam
United States and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to jointly finance the validation exercise of technical and financial feasibility and safeguard mechanism related to environment, social and displacements of people for construction of much-awaited $11.2 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam, it was learnt.
“The estimated cost of $11.2 billion for Basha dam will be escalated keeping in view depreciation of rupee against dollar and efforts are underway to convince the World Bank to become part of consortium led by ADB,” top official of economic team confided to The News here on Wednesday.
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Shakeel Durrani held important meetings with top economic and planning managers here in the federal capital on Wednesday afternoon to accelerate the process of accomplishing compensation package for displaced people in Northern Areas as donors’ community asked the government to accomplish this process without hue and cry of local community.
After surfacing complaints of compensations extended to wrong people, a joint probe team of donors and WAPDA had visited the northern area and suspended a patwari who found involved for giving compensation money to non-eligible people.
In order to validate feasibility studies of this important project, the United States would extend grant of $7.5 million while ADB would provide technical loan of another $7.5 million, totaling this cost up to $15 million.
The ADB’s high-powered mission on energy sector led by Rune Storem is expected to visit Islamabad within next few weeks to review progress on feasibility studies prepared by the Water and Power Development Authority.
“The ADB is going to play leading role for making this project as bankable for other donors and the Manila based bank is expected to provide financing of $4 billion out of total $10 billion required from the donors.
We are making efforts to convince the World Bank to become part of consortium for Basha dam as it will help Pakistan to get money from other European donors,” said the official. He said that the suppliers’ credit would also play a crucial role to ensure external financing of this important project.
About cost of the project, he said that the escalation would be occurred in the case of this project because first the compensation money had already gone on higher side. The cost of the project will go up from initial assessment of $11.2 billion by adding few billion dollars more and the major cause of this escalation would be rampant depreciation of rupee against dollar.
“USA has also agreed to provide $200 million for Basha dam in first phase through Kerry Lugar Law (KLL) money,” said the official, but was clueless when asked when this money would actually be disbursed.
The lead syndicate established for Diamer-Bhasha dam under Asian Development Bank had already asked Pakistan to fill gaps by focusing more on social aspects of the displaced population and placing dispute resolution mechanism for making this project ‘bankable’ for international investors.
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Diamer-Bhasha affectees get first instalment for temporary housing
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The first instalment to construct temporary housing facilities has been handed over to families whose lands were acquired to build the 4,000MW Diamer-Bhasha Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Cheques were delivered on Thursday to families in Thor Valley in G-B’s Diamer district by Dr Raheal Ahmad Siddiqui, general manager (land acquisition and resettlement) at the Water and Development Authority, and Shoukat Hussain Bhatti, the general manager of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Project (DBDP).
In a meeting on February 21, Wapda had decided to provide temporary housing facilities to all affected families in Thor Valley. The facility is in additional to the full payment for land and establishment of permanent townships in five years. The temporary accommodation covers construction of a one-bedroom residence, and will be paid in three instalments.
Wapda is also planning to establish veterinary camps in various valleys of the Diamer district by the end of this month and the construction of a girls’ school in Chillas has also been started. The school will be run by locals, to ensure employment.
Source:http://tribune.com.pk/story/347284/d...orary-housing/
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13-08-12
Progress on Daimer-Bhasha dam; govt to construct mega water projects: Ahmed Mukhtar
ISLAMABAD - Minister for Water and Power Ch Ahmed Mukhtar has said that the government is determined to construct mega water and power sector project. All options are being considered for their financing to complete them within the shortest possible time frame.
He made these remarks while presiding over a meeting on Diamer Bhasha dam project here on Monday. The meeting was attended by Secretary Water and Power, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Chairman WAPDA and senior officials of concerned ministries.
The Minister stated that construction of Mega water projects to enhance water storage and to produce cheaper electricity is the top priority of the government and various projects are being constructed in this regard.
The meeting asked WAPDA to furnish a report with all the options and commitment from donors to finance the 4500W Diamer Bhasha dam project. The report will be discussed after taking views from EAD and Planning Commission in a meeting to be held in the next couple of days.
Earlier Chairman WAPDA briefed the meeting on the current status of the project; its benefits, land acquisition, infrastructure development, compensation package, allocation by the government and other related issues.
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Diamer Bhasha dam: Japanese aid keeps plans afloat
Tokyo agrees to finance power houses of the 4,500MW project.
Japan has agreed in principle to finance the power houses of the Diamer Bhasha dam, renewing hopes that the project will not be suspended. The dam has been designed to generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity, which Pakistan direly needs, besides storing water for agriculture purposes.
According to a senior government official, Japan has agreed to finance the construction of the power houses of the dam through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He said the move, if it materialises, will create a win-win situation for both parties: it will provide much-needed funding for the project and an opportunity to JICA to sell its equipment.
However, the exact amount of the funding has not yet been worked out as modalities will be finalised later on, the official added. Meanwhile, the authorities have informed the premier about this development.
The project was originally meant to be completed by 2017, but suffered setbacks after its lead financer reportedly backtracked from commitments. It is currently facing delays of up to three to four years. Officials say Japan’s decision is good news for the country: the $11.2 billion project can still be kept alive, after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently reportedly refused to fund the dam.
The ADB had committed $4.5 billion to $5 billion for construction of the project. The bank had also pledged that it would act as the government’s investment banker in raising the money from international capital markets to meet funding requirements.
According to media reports, the ADB has now refused to provide financing for the dam. According to a senior government functionary, the ADB has reiterated an old stance: it will be difficult for the lending agency to arrange the entire funding on its own, and it needs collaboration from other international lending agencies as well. The ADB itself has not clarified the news reports.
Officials say that talks with the ADB continue, to convince the lending agency not to withdraw its support even if there are problems in arranging funds from other international lending agencies.
In its efforts to keep the ADB on board, the government has increased the land acquisition compensation cost to more than twice the original. The ADB had suggested the government increase the cost – in order to appease the affected population and avoid future litigation. The cost of the land acquisition project was less than Rs48 billion originally, but has since soared to Rs116.6 billion, according to the Planning Commission.
The World Bank has already refused to provide funds for the initiative, fearing a backlash from India as New Delhi considers Gilgit-Baltistan a disputed territory. However, the United States has assured up to $500 million in assistance for the project; to be paid out of the $7.5 billion Kerry Lugar aid package.
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