30 per cent of Neelum-Jhelum project completed
Work being expedited to secure water rights over India.
ISLAMABAD:
The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has completed 30 per cent work on the strategic 969-megawatt Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project, which is being developed at a fast pace to secure water rights over Neelum River, currently under threat from India.
Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Company Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Lieutenant General (Retd) Mohammad Zubair said this while talking to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Nadeem Ul Haque, who visited the site along with Planning Commission Member Energy Shahid Sattar on Thursday.
They reviewed the progress and assessed the escalation in project’s cost. The delay in project execution has pushed up the cost substantially.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister also visited the power plant and called for setting up schools for boys and girls to spread education in the area. One of the visitors told The Express Tribune that according to the briefing the project cost had increased to Rs320 billion because of revision in design after the 2005 earthquake, depreciation of rupee, increase in cost of land and compensation to affected families and procurement of tunnel boring machines.
Initial cost of the project was Rs84 billion. General Zubair said the project would be completed by December 2016.
Revised PC-1 of the project has been submitted to the Ministry of Water and Power while tunnel boring machines will reach Karachi this month.
The Neelum-Jhelum project, located close to Muzaffarabad, envisages diversion of Neelum River water through a tunnel to Jhelum River.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.
The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has completed 30 per cent work on the strategic 969-megawatt Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project, which is being developed at a fast pace to secure water rights over Neelum River, currently under threat from India.
Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Company Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Lieutenant General (Retd) Mohammad Zubair said this while talking to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Nadeem Ul Haque, who visited the site along with Planning Commission Member Energy Shahid Sattar on Thursday.
They reviewed the progress and assessed the escalation in project’s cost. The delay in project execution has pushed up the cost substantially.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister also visited the power plant and called for setting up schools for boys and girls to spread education in the area. One of the visitors told The Express Tribune that according to the briefing the project cost had increased to Rs320 billion because of revision in design after the 2005 earthquake, depreciation of rupee, increase in cost of land and compensation to affected families and procurement of tunnel boring machines.
Initial cost of the project was Rs84 billion. General Zubair said the project would be completed by December 2016.
Revised PC-1 of the project has been submitted to the Ministry of Water and Power while tunnel boring machines will reach Karachi this month.
The Neelum-Jhelum project, located close to Muzaffarabad, envisages diversion of Neelum River water through a tunnel to Jhelum River.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.