By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, April 04 (INP-WealthPK): The under-construction Dasu hydropower project is of immense importance for Pakistan as it will, on completion, increase the share of green and low-cost hydel electricity in the national grid. Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Let-Gen Muzammil Hussain directed the project administrators to ensure that major construction milestones are met on schedule, according to WealthPK. Construction work was simultaneously taking place on eight different sites, including diversion tunnels, an underground powerhouse, a flushing and traffic tunnel, the relocation of the Karakoram Highway, and a 132-kilovolt transmission line. The state-owned National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), which is responsible for the development and operation of the transmission infrastructure for the project, has awarded the consultancy contract for designing, engineering, and construction supervision to Korea Electric Power Company. According to WealthPK research, the 4,320-megawatt project is being executed in two stages on the Indus River in Dasu area of Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With the completion of stage one, the power station will generate 2,160MW hydropower. During the second stage, the generation capacity would be increased to 4,320MW. The first and major stage includes construction of a complete structure of reinforced cement concrete dam with connected structures of underground powerhouse having six faster-mills. Upon completion of both the stages, Dasu hydropower station will be one of the biggest hydroelectric facilities in South Asia. The estimated cost of the project is Rs510 billion. The 2.2GW project is one of the most important power generation endeavours in the country, which will help generate clean electricity, thus leading the remote areas of the province into a new era of socioeconomic development. The schedule for the project’s commissioning is 2023. Electricity generated will be fed into the national grid through two parallel 250-kilometre-long 500kV transmission lines connecting the Pathar Garh grid station near Hassanabad area. The project is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment plan aiming at connecting western China to southern Pakistan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Hydropower is the best option available with Pakistan to meet the challenges of projected future energy demands as it is sustainable, reliable, renewable, clean, low-cost and indigenous. It is, therefore, imperative for the policymakers to make all-out efforts for developing the untapped hydropower potential without delay. Private sector’s involvement in exploitation of the country’s abundant hydropower resources should also be a priority for the government.