In a significant step towards community rehabilitation, Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) distributed final payments and handed over resettlement plots to 65 households displaced by the Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP), one of Pakistan’s largest clean energy initiatives being developed with the expertise of Chinese companies. The Final Payment Distribution and Plot Handover Ceremony was held at the GM/PD Office in WAPDA Colony, Choochang. Director General Social Safeguard Brig (Retd.)

Khalid Khan Jadoon of WAPDA and Achlie Gullepo, Project Manager of Dasu Hydro Consultant (DHC), handed over resettlement plot certificates and Temporary Relocation Package (TRP) cheques to the affected families, Gwadar Pro reported on Saturday. According to the project statement, this milestone marks a major advancement in the Dasu HPP’s comprehensive resettlement program, aimed at ensuring displaced communities receive fair compensation, improved housing, and opportunities to rebuild their lives in the newly established Khushi-1 Resettlement Village.

“This handover is more than a transaction; it’s a promise of renewed livelihoods and better futures,” said Brig (Retd.) Jadoon. “We are committed to ensuring that all families affected by the Dasu project are resettled with dignity and support.” The DHPP required the acquisition of 4,643 hectares of land, directly affecting 767 households from 34 hamlets and villages. The project has also documented and protected several community assets, including mosques, schools, health units, rock carvings, and a historic mosque, under a Resettlement Framework that guides land acquisition and ensures fair compensation and rehabilitation.

Chinese companies play a central role in the project’s development. China Gezhouba Group Co. Ltd. (CGGC) is the main contractor for Main Works-01, including the RCC dam, spillways, and river diversions. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is building the Right Access Road, while China Gansu International Corporation for Economic and Technical Cooperation (CGICOP) constructed the Project Colony. Power Construction Corporation of China (PCCC) holds the contract for the transmission line between Dubair Khwar HPP and Dasu HPP.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China