Staff Reporter
Lahore
World Bank President David R. Malpass on Thursday visited Tarbela Dam Project and had a round of the Main Dam and the Power House of Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project. Water Resources Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Water Resources Federal Secretary Muhammad Ashraf, WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) and World Bank senior officials accompanied him during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, World Bank President expressed his pleasure over completion of Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project within time and less than estimated cost, adding that the work on the project is impressive.
Earlier, Water Resources Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda thanked the World Bank for the cooperation it has been providing to Pakistan for harnessing water and hydropower resources since 1960.He expressed the hope that this cooperation will further enhance for implementation of various projects in the days to come.Welcoming the World Bank President at Tarbela, WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) commended that the World Bank not only helped broker Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India but also administered the entire financial arrangements with assistance of the friendly countries to complete Indus Basin Replacement Works, which included two mega dams namely Mangla and Tarbela, five barrages and nine inter-river link canals to divert water from the Western Rivers to the Eastern Rivers.
He also appreciated the World Bank for financial support for Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project, Dasu Hydropower Project and upcoming Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project. WAPDA is looking forward to World Bank’s support for other projects, located on Indus Cascade. The projects on Indus Cascade have the great potential to store water and generate phenomenal hydel electricity, he further said. Briefing the World Bank President about the benefits of Tarbela Dam Project, the Chairman said that as many as 378 MAF water has been released from Tarbela Reservoir to meet irrigation needs of the country, while 523 billion units of electricity has been contributed by Tarbela Hydel Power Station to the National Grid. In addition, Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project, commissioned last year, has also generated 5.6 billion units – more than the generation envisaged in PC-I of the project.
