Government will defer three big dam projects i.e. Kalabagh, Akhori and Diamer-Bhasha due to opposition from smaller provinces.

Projects worth Rs.1.027 trillion were put up before a meeting of central development working party for concept clearance to start formal discussions with lenders for foreign funding arrangements.

The meeting approved Rs. 1.677 billion, including foreign aid of Rs. 98 million, for detailed engineering design and preparation of tender documents of the Diamer-Bhasha dam project. The meeting also approved 23 projects costing Rs. 74 billion.

The Water and Power Ministry had presented three projects worth Rs.1.027 trillion with a foreign exchange component of Rs. 433 billion. The cost of Diamer-Bhasha, Kala-bagh and Akhori dams had been estimated at $6.51 billion, $6.2 billion and $4.44 billion, respectively.