Neelum-Jhelum project: PM inaugurates tunnel-boring machines
With deployment of the German-manufactured state-of-the-art gigantic machines, Pakistan has joined the club of countries that are using high-tech machines in execution of water and power projects, says a press release.
The machines will reduce the construction period by about 18 months and will provide an estimated benefit of Rs67 billion. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
The two machines were procured at a cost of about Rs19.5 billion, including the expenditure made on their shipment and installation.
Neelum-Jhelum project Chief Executive Officer Lieutenant General Muhammad Zubair said the cost of the two machines would be recovered in three years and these would also be used for other such projects, involving tunnels, in the future. He expressed the hope that the Neelum-Jhelum project, after completion, would reduce load-shedding by three hours in the country.
Zubair said about 40% work had been completed, adding the project had been facing shortage of funds for the last two months due to delay in release of money from the finance ministry. “These machines are able to make one-km tunnel every month.”
The project is being executed on priority to produce low-cost hydropower and win priority water rights over the Neelum and Jhelum rivers, as India is constructing Kishan Ganga project upstream of the rivers.
The hydropower project will contribute about 5.15 billion units of electricity per annum and annual benefits have been calculated at about Rs45 billion. It will pay back its cost in about seven years.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2012.
COMMENTS (6)
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@nitish: this is an internal matter of Pakistan. you have no right or authority to say anything. You are not going to help so if we seek help somewhere else, thats own concern. Please mind your own matters, last I heard poverty was still rampant in India no matter how much you claim to be going great!
The latest news about this project is that Chinese have threatened to stop work on this dam and go home if they are not paid the past due amounts. And, Government of Pakistan has no money! No matter the "Deeper than the oceans and higher than the Himalayas friendship of the two brotherly nations", "bizness is bizness"!
How many times has this project been inaugurated and what was the original commencement schedule? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I think this is like mango tree that is grown only for the next generation.
REally? is it a news. delhi has 12 of those machines working on metro project and thats hardly any news. i guess raja sahab wants to be in headlines for some reasons, even if that news is artificially hyped
The day is not far when china will claim over entire kashmir(including indias part).This is a very serious issue.How come a country which runs on a foreign aid can invest in such a project.This is nothing worthy at all.We have no problem if pak constucts it with its own capacity.Pakistan is selling its land to china.It seems that they did not learn lesson from britishars. But remember if war will start between ind and china,pakistan will always responsible for that. on the other hand india need to invest more and more to strengthen its defence sighting upcoming threat.
this project is a race with india to claim rights over neelum-jhelum and has huge consequences. hopefully finance ministry will find funds for this project over all others to ensure early completion to ensure rights to the river for generations to come.