NESPAK-led JV wins Diamer Bhasha Dam’s consultancy contract
Lahore: A National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK)-led joint venture has won the consultancy contract of Diamer Bhasha Dam Project through competitive bidding.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony held at Mega Hydel Complex, Islamabad. General Manager/ Chief executive Officer/ Project Director Diamer Basha Development Company and Diamer Bhasha Consultants Group (DBCG) authorized representative Dr. Tahir Masood, MD NESPAK, signed the agreement on behalf of WAPDA and the Joint Venture respectively.
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Federal Minister Muhammad Faisal Vawda, Federal Secretary Muhammad Ashraf, Joint Secretary Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Muzammil Hussain, NESPAK Managing Director Dr. Tahir Masood, WAPDA Authority Members, senior officers and representatives of the consulting firms were also present on the occasion.
The consultants will provide services through a joint venture comprising six firms as JV members/partners namely, National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd – Pakistan (Lead Firm), Pöyry (AFRY) Switzerland Limited – Switzerland, MWH (Stantec) International, Inc – USA, DOLSAR Engineering Inc. Co. – Turkey, Associated Consulting Engineers ACE Ltd. – Pakistan and MM Pakistan Pvt. Ltd – Pakistan. The consultants’ scope of services includes detailed design review, construction design, construction supervision, contract administration and environment, and resettlement aspects. It is pertinent to mention that NESPAK has been assigned the lead role in the contract for consultancy services in such a mega water sector project.
Diamer Bhasha Dam is proposed to be constructed on the Indus River. The site is 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam Project, some 180 km below the town of Gilgit and 40 km downstream of Chilas, the headquarter of District Diamer in Gilgit-Baltistan. The project comprises construction of 272 m high Roller Compacted Concrete Dam (RCC), spillway, power intake, waterway tunnels, and underground powerhouse one each on right and left side abutment.
On completion, the dam as proposed will be one of the largest RCC Dam in the world and the reservoir project will store about 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) of water. The powerhouse will generate 4500 megawatts (MW) of low-cost hydel electricity and help mitigate floods. About 1.23 MAF of land will be irrigated because of Bhasha Dam.