Diamer-Bhasha will be top priority: new Wapda chief
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LAHORE: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) chairman-designate Zafar Mehmood has briefly explained his working agenda, putting launch and completion of the 4,500MW Diamer-Bhasha Dam project on top of his priority list.
Mehmood,
a former federal secretary for water and power and commerce, is about
to quit his current job as the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC)
chairman. He has submitted his resignation to takeover Wapda.
The
seat became vacant after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accepted Syed
Raghib Abbas Shah’s resignation on Thursday. Shah had tendered his
resignation to the premier a couple of days ago citing personal reasons.
“Diamer-Bhasha
Dam project is vital for the country in terms of power generation and
overcoming the prevailing energy crisis, therefore, it will be on top of
my priority list,” he said while talking to Dawn on Friday. “Moreover,
this project is the need of the hour to avoid accumulation of sediments
in Tarbela and other dams.
The sediments are not only reducing
their life but also reducing their power generation capacity gradually.
So we will gear up various assignments leading to launching and
completion of Bhasha and other projects in hand,” Mehmood explained.
According
to a report compiled by Wapda on Feb 3 on Bhasha dam, the Tarbela,
Mangla and Chashma reservoirs have already lost about 5.3MAF due to
sedimentation. “It is estimated that by 2016, this loss will increase to
6.6MAF, almost equal to the original combined capacity of Mangla and
Chashma reservoirs,” the report reads.
Mehmood said launch and
completion of Bhasha dam project would be helpful in reducing
sedimentation in the existing major dams, increasing power generation,
conserving water and controlling floods.
He said he would prefer
visiting the dam site soon after taking over. “I have submitted my
resignation to the prime minister in order to get myself relieved from
the post of PPSC chairman. I hope the resignation will be accepted very
soon. And hopefully, I will assume the new office on Saturday (today) or
surely on Monday,” he said, confirming the government had already
issued a notification about his appointment as Wapda chief.
Mehmood
said since he had worked as water and power secretary in the federal
government, he knew about related issues. “But I don’t know exactly
about the current status of the projects initiated during my tenure in
the Ministry of Water and Power as secretary. I am studying Wapda’s
annual report to know the current status,” he added.
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