Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the mega construction work at Diamer-Bhasha Dam at River Indus near Chilas, that will produce 4,500 inexpensive and green hydel power, here on Wednesday.
According to the details, t Diamer Bhahsa Dam is 272-metre high, having a capacity of 6.4 million acre-feet water reservoir, will be the country’s third big dam after Tarbela and Mangla dams.
While addressing the ceremony, the Prime Minister called the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam a “window of development and opportunities for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan”.
He also said, “Diamer-Bhasha Dam will change the fate of locals and bring immense development in the area,” the prime minster said while addressing a public rally, after he commenced the mega construction work of the dam.”
Imran Khan said Pakistan is blessed with natural water resources with steep land gradients to generate fast flow, required for producing less expensive electricity.
He regretted that previous governments ignored construction of dams and instead opted for fuel modes for electricity generation.
He said producing electricity through imported fuel and furnace oil, resulted in high current account deficit that took the economy to downward trend, currency devaluation, inflation, poverty and de-industrialization.
He said due to such poor policies of previous tenures, his government inherited a huge US dollar 20 billion current account deficit.
The prime minister also mentioned his plantation campaign aimed at reducing the risks of climate change as the country falls in list of 10 most vulnerable.