Rupee Weakness Pushes Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu Project Costs Up by Rs1.8

Rupee Weakness Pushes Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu Project Costs Up by Rs1.896 Trillion

The Ministry of Water Resources told parliament that a weaker rupee added Rs1.896 trillion to the combined cost of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 31, 2026 · 11:40 AM 2 min read

Key takeaways

The combined cost of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project rose by Rs1.896 trillion due to rupee depreciation.

Diamer-Bhasha's estimate increased to Rs1.121 trillion, up Rs642 billion from Rs479 billion.

Dasu's cost climbed to Rs1.740 trillion, an additional Rs1.254 trillion, about 260% higher.

Cement, diesel and steel prices surged by 204%, 472% and 268% respectively.

Shaista Khan reported wheat distribution plans after PASSCO was dissolved, with a new digital tracking system.

The Ministry of Water Resources informed the National Assembly that the combined cost of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Dasu Hydropower Project has risen by Rs1.896 trillion as the Pakistani rupee weakened against the US dollar.

Dasu accounts for the larger increase

Lawmakers were shown a revised estimate of Rs1.121 trillion for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, up from the earlier Rs479 billion. The Rs642 billion rise was linked to exchange-rate shifts, and the ministry said it had submitted a revised PC-I.

Dasu's projected cost jumped from Rs486 billion to Rs1.740 trillion, an extra Rs1.254 trillion or about 260%, making it the main driver of the overall increase.

Fuel and building materials add to the burden

The government also highlighted sharp rises in petroleum and construction material prices, further straining infrastructure financing. Reported figures included:

Cement: price per bag rose from Rs530 to Rs1,610, a 204% increase.
High-speed diesel: per-litre cost went from Rs72 to Rs414, up 472%.
Steel and iron bars: price per metric tonne climbed from Rs72,000 to Rs265,000, a 268% jump.

Wheat distribution after PASSCO's dissolution

During a separate Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for National Food Security and Research Shaista Khan briefed members on wheat supplies after the dissolution of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO). She responded to queries from Shahida Rehmani and Aliya Kamran.

Khan said relevant agencies and provinces had been contacted to distribute available wheat stocks, with shipments also heading to Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and other affected areas. Imported wheat has arrived at warehouses to meet needs.

A digital system now monitors wheat movement and provincial deliveries via a dashboard that shows transport and delivery details. Khan said PASSCO's collapse stemmed from financial and administrative issues, including delayed payments by some provinces.

She added that the government intends to involve private firms by linking them with the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and that a monitoring and accountability framework for these firms is being developed to improve wheat distribution.

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