Pakistan’s two major hydropower schemes, Mohmand Dam and the Dasu Hydropower Project, have recorded a combined cost increase of around Rs. 1.607 trillion, taking their total estimated construction cost from nearly Rs. 800 billion to about Rs. 2.4 trillion, according to documents presented by the Ministry of Water Resources in the National Assembly.

The documents showed that the estimated cost of the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project rose from Rs. 309.558 billion to Rs. 665.743 billion, reflecting an increase of Rs. 356.18 billion.

According to the ministry, the original estimate had been approved under the project’s PC-I when the contract was awarded. However, a revised PC-I carrying the updated cost is still awaiting approval from the Ministry of Planning.

The Dasu Hydropower Project posted a much larger increase in projected costs. The ministry said the project’s cost had climbed from Rs. 486.093 billion under its original 2014 PC-I to Rs. 1.737 trillion, showing an increase of Rs. 1.251 trillion.

Documents showed that the second revised PC-I for the Dasu project was approved by the National Economic Council in December 2025.

The updated figures also pointed to a major increase in allocations for communities affected by both projects. For Mohmand Dam, development funding for local communities rose from an initial Rs. 160 million to Rs. 4.5 billion under the revised estimates.

Similarly, allocations for communities affected by the Dasu project increased from Rs. 7 billion to Rs. 57 billion.

The Dasu Hydropower Project is among Pakistan’s largest planned hydropower ventures and is part of broader efforts to tackle long-term energy shortages and reduce reliance on imported fuel.

Mohmand Dam, meanwhile, is considered a strategically important multipurpose project expected to support flood control, irrigation, drinking water supply, and power generation.