The Diamer-Bhasha Dam, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Diamer district of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), has faced ongoing controversy since its inception. Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has pointed out that the project’s cost has skyrocketed by over 300 percent. He attributed this dramatic increase to “inefficiencies” of the previous administration, according to the Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn. Iqbal also noted that the financing plan for this vital project, situated on the Indus River and straddling the border of the Kohistan district, is still unfinished, according to Dawn.
Iqbal, in a statement on Wednesday, claimed, “Funding shortages and delays have caused the project’s cost to escalate from PKR 479 billion to PKR 1,400 billion. We are enduring the fallout from the previous government’s mismanagement in every sector.” As per the Dawn report, the dam is located in a highly seismic zone, causing major concerns for residents of PoGB. The locals of the area have been bearing the brunt of its construction, while the benefits after the completion of the project are expected to largely favour the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan.
Additionally, the dam’s construction has negatively impacted citizens, whose views have been ignored by the Pakistan government. As it has failed to compensate these residents for the land acquisitions before the dam project. Initially, promises of providing jobs were also made to citizens, but none have been fulfilled yet.
As per the Dawn report, the minister expressed regret that the project’s financing plan remains incomplete. He further stated, “Even today, the estimated cost on paper is listed as PKR 480 billion, despite the actual cost having risen to PKR 1,400 billion. The responsibility for this exorbitant increase in the Diamer-Bhasha Dam’s construction cost lies with the previous incompetent government.”
According to the same news report, the meeting was attended by the Secretary for Planning, the Chairperson of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), and senior officials from relevant institutions related to the project. Iqbal explained that the cost of this key project began to escalate due to delays and postponements. In December 2020, the previous administration hastily commenced construction without securing the necessary finances for the project, as per the Dawn report.
(With Inputs from ANI)
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