Work in progress on Diamer-Bhasha Dam project
Work is in progress on the Diamer Bhasha Dam project as 50 Volvo Dump trucks arrived at Karachi port for the project. According to VPL Limited, a Pan-Asian Group Company, these trucks will be operated by Frontier Works Organization (FWO) for multiple hardcore construction operations on site including excavation and tunneling support, etc. In a statement the company said that the new Volvo FMX is their most robust construction truck to date and can tackle any tough terrain or construction job. Bhasha Dam is in the preliminary stage of construction. Upon its completion by 2029, the dam would produce 4,800 megawatts of electricity through hydro-power generation and will store an extra 10.5 cubic kilometers (8,500,000-acre ft) of water for Pakistan that would be used for irrigation and drinking. Moreover, the dam will extend the life of Tarbela Dam located downstream by 35 years; and it will control flood damage by the River Indus downstream during high floods. In May 2020, the Pakistani government signed an Rs.442-billion contract with a joint venture of Power China and FWO for the construction of the dam. Recently the government also approved Rs900 billion for the power plants of the dam. The eight million-acre-feet (MAF) reservoir with 272-metre height will be the tallest roller compact concrete (RCC) dam in the world.