MANSEHRA, Jan 7: MPA Abdul Sattar Khan said that if the government wanted to cope with the energy crisis in the country, it should implement upon the Water Vision Plan that could help generate over 1,200 megawatt of power from Kohistan district alone.

While speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, the legislator said that the Water Vision Plan gives great importance to Kohistan district, for fulfilling country’s energy needs for the next 50 years through various proposed hydropower projects at the river Indus.

Abdul Sattar Khan said that if the government did not utilise the available natural resources to generate power and overcome the existing energy crisis, the country would suffer further as during the last 10 to 15 years no power project could be executed because of the apathy of the rulers.

The legislator said that he had submitted a resolution with the provincial assembly secretariat in Peshawar to restore the name of Basha-Diamer dam as Basha Dam, as the reservoir and the power plant would be built in the jurisdiction of Kohistan district at Basha.

“In the upcoming session of the provincial assembly, a resolution to rename Basha-Diamer dam as Basha Dam, will be tabled,” the MPA said.

Abdul Sattar Khan, who hails from Kohistan district, said that according to the constitution that province or area of the country where the power plant or head box of a dam is established has the right of royalty. He said, “According to this definition, NWFP would get the royalty as the power plant or head box of Basha Dam lie in Kohistan district.”

The MPA, while elaborating the proposed hydropower projects in Kohistan district as envisioned in the Water Vision Plan, said that besides 4,400 MW Basha-Diamer Dam, a 4,600 MW Dasso hydropower project could also be built at River Indus in the Kohistan district adding feasibility of the project had been completed and work on its design and construction was pending.

Abdul Sattar Khan said that various small and medium hydropower projects were also included in the plan and work on 500 MW Dobar Khaward hydropower project was near completion adding survey of 500 MW Palis project was also underway.

He said that feasibility reports of 600 MW Shahaya (Dasso), 500 MW Pilyat, 300 MW Qanber Ali (Dasso) and 800 MW Qandia Valley hydropower projects in the districts had been completed.

The legislator made it clear that about 50 per cent water in river Indus was added from small streams, rivers and glaciers originating from Kohistan.

He said that if the government starts all the proposed hydropower projects in Kohistan, it could not only meet the shortage of 4,000 MW of electricity, but additional power generated could be supplied to the Central Asian countries.