It is reported that in addition to initiating construction work on the 4,500 MW Diamer Basha Dam Project in 2009, another half dozen mega hydropower projects including Kohala, Dasu, Bunji, Munda, Palas Valley would be undertaken in 2010 to 2012.

Mr Shakil Durrani chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority state these projects would generate about 21,000 MW of electricity on their completion and help improve low cost hydropower proportion in the national grid.

After its bifurcation in2007, WAPDA is fully focused on water and hydropower development. The work on 969 MW Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project has already started while feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs of most of the mega projects in both water and power sectors are currently at the advance stages and likely to be completed by 2009.

Pakistan is currently storing only 11% of the annual water flows of its rivers and if this capacity is not increased, Pakistan will be a water short country by 2012.