Resource information
The Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project is
a major run-of-river power project designed to meet the
acute shortage of power in Pakistan. It is being implemented
by the Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan
(WAPDA). The project consists of a barrage located near
Ghazi village in the North West Frontier Province, a 52 km
long concrete lined power channel and a power complex
located near Barotha village in the province of Punjab. It
is expected to have an installed capacity of 1450 MW and
provide an estimated energy output of 6600 GWh. The project
is a major element of the Government's strategy for
meeting future power demand in Pakistan. Impacts of the
project include changes of land use in areas temporarily and
permanently acquired for construction. This will affect
about 20,000 people, including resettlement of 179 families
with a surveyed population of 899 persons. From the earliest
stages of project development, assessment of social impacts
was incorporated into the evaluation and selection of
alternatives for the siting of major infrastructure
components. The analysis of alternatives has allowed for a
significant reduction in the extent of resettlement and
archeological impacts. The project serves as an example of
inclusive project planning. Communities and NGOs worked with
social scientists and engineers to develop engineering
solutions to mitigate adverse social impacts and to make the
project design responsive to social concerns.
