Neelum-Jhelum: 92% work on project completed

Excavation of 68km tunnels will end in the current month

LAHORE: The 969-megawatt Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric power project is heading towards completion in line with the stipulated work plan as overall progress now stands at 92%, says Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lieutenant General (Retired) Muzammil Hussain.

During a visit to the headrace tunnel, Hussain was told that following the excavation of tunnels, the waterway system would enter the final phase, which would be completed in seven months.

Thereafter, the tunnels will be ready to divert water from the dam site to the power house.



In a major development, the second Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will achieve breakthrough at the Right Headrace Tunnel in the last week of April, marking the completion of excavation of over 68km-long tunnel system of the project. The breakthrough at the Left Headrace Tunnel was achieved in October 2016.

In order to review the ongoing construction work at various sites, the Wapda chairman on Thursday visited the under-construction project, which was located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Interacting with the field staff, Hussain announced that after completion the Neelum-Jhelum project would be an engineering marvel of the century. First unit of the project is planned to commence electricity generation by the end of February 2018, second in March and the third and fourth units in April 2018.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2017.

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