China offers to make Diamer-Bhasha Dam project part of CPEC

ISLAMABAD: China has offered to bring Diamer-Bhasha Dam project under the umbrella of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

This was informed at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms in Islamabad.

Chairman Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Muzamil Hussain told the committee that the project has been pending since long, as Asian Development Bank has declined to fund it, raising objection on its location.

Read More: NA passes resolution to expedite construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam

He informed that currently, no mega hydro-power project was included in CPEC, therefore the governments of both the countries were seriously mulling over including the project in CPEC.

The chairman Wapda said other hydro-power projects including Neelum Jehlum and Tarbela extension would be completed by May next year which would provide additional 2,500 MW electricity.

He said work on Dasu project would be started next month, and completed by 2022.