The United States is interested in Diamar-Bhasha dam and other hydel sector projects and Pakistan and the US will discuss financing issues of Diamar-Bhasha dam at the meeting of Pakistan-US Economic Working Group scheduled to be held next month in Washington, US ambassador to Pakistan Richard G Olson said on Friday. Also on Friday, the Diamar-Bhasha dam project was discussed at a meeting between Minister for Water and Power Ahmad Mukhtar and the US ambassador to Pakistan Richard G Olson.
Appreciating the US co-operation and assistance being extended to the power sector, Mukhtar said that it would help improve the efficiency of public sector power entities. The government, he said, was working on power sector reforms, rehabilitation, upgradation of Gencos, improvement in the working of Discos, distribution of 30 million energy savers, installation of smart meters, improvement in recoveries, controlling power theft and reduction in line losses.
The Minister stated that Pakistan was focusing on coal generation and also briefed him about the conversion of thermal plants on coal which would help saving foreign exchange and generation of cheaper electricity. The Minister claimed that the power situation was improving, adding that various steps had been taken in this regard. The US Ambassador said that Diamer-Bhasha dam was an important project for future water requirements and to generate cheaper power, adding that.
He said that Diamer-Bhasha dam project would be discussed in the meeting of US-Pakistan Economic Working Group to be held next month in Washington. He said the US was committed to work with the government towards a brighter future for the people of Pakistan. The US is providing assistance in various power sector projects and working on modernising Tarbela Power Station, Mangla Dam power house, upgrading of Jamshoro, Guddu and Muzaffargarh thermal plants, besides providing funding for the completion of Gomal Zam dam and Satpara dam projects. These projects would add 900MW to the power grid by 2013.
