The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has taken a decision to fill the satpara dam and start the generation of electricity through functional power plants already in place.
The Satpara Dam unutilized for years and can benefit the energy outcome through the better use of dam. The Satpara Dam is a medium-sized multi-purpose concrete-faced earth-filled dam located downstream from Satpara Lake on the Satpara Stream, approximately 4 kilometers away from the town of Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), on November 26, 2018, resubmitted the second revised PC-1 of Satpara Dam project (which included the 17.4MW power plant and Shantung Nullah diversion) to the Ministry of Water Resources.
Environmentalists had previous objections for the diversion of water to the Satpara dam in view of the fact that it could harm the eco-system in the Deosai National Park. However, WAPDA argue that the diversion could be made without affecting the environment and the natural flow of water.
The dam engorged the size of the Satpara Lake, generates 17.36 MW of hydroelectricity, supplies power to approximately 30,000 households in the Skardu Valley, and irrigates 15,536 acres (62.87 kilometers. Square) of land and supplies 3.1 million gallons per day of drinking water to Skardu city.
Yearly agricultural output in the Skardu Valley is expected to increase more than four-fold, generating about $6 million in additional annual economic benefits to local communities.
The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has taken the decision to increase the electricity generation through this dam to meet Pakistan’s rising energy needs.