APD | ADB agrees to provide funds for Pakistan’s Nalong dam

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 9 (APD) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide funds for the construction of Naulong dam in Pakistan’s southwest Balochostan province, local media reported Sunday while quoting government officials.

The bank has decided to provide Rs. 26.6 billion (195 million US dollars) for the much-delayed project after the provincial government agreed to allow the country’s Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to execute it.

“ADB has agreed to fund the project, as it has included it in its business plan,” a spokesman for the bank has told media while confirming the development.

“The bank is of the view that the provincial government doesn’t have the capacity to execute the project in a professional manner. And if Wapda executes this, it is ready to fund it,” the Wapda official said.

After this development, the Naulong dam project is no more in the funding ambit of the federal government’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), said the official.

Located on Mula River about 30km from Gandava Town in Balochistan’s Jhal Magsi district, the 4.4-megawatt Naulong project was planned to be launched in 2009 with completion in 2012.

However, the project—a zoned earth fill dam with 186 feet height and gross and live storage capacity of 242,163 and 199,956 acres feet—remained stuck for about nine years due to various issues related to funding, capacity, execution etc.

The Wapda management one and half years back took up the issue with the government besides engaging the ADB in the process which sought a couple of more studies required before execution of the project.

“Since the detailed design and feasibility study are already completed, Wapda got two more studies carried out according to guidelines of the ADB, said the official, adding that, “the official said Wapda would also contribute some money in the form of equity in the project’s funding.”

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)