The Federal Government has lifted certain restrictions on establishing electricity projects of over 50 mw, which will pave the way for setting up 17 hydropower projects in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces. All these projects would be functional by the end of 2017.
Sources in the Planning Commission said that all bottlenecks had been removed which had halted the construction progress of 5107 mw capacity hydropower projects. These will provide cheap electricity and help bridge the power deficit the country has been facing in the shape of load shedding.
Out of total, nine hydropower projects would be located in Azad Jammu and Kashmir with installed capacity of 2154 mw. Each project has different completion date. New Bong Escape Hydropower Project near Mangla has 84 mw capacity and would be completed by the end of 2013. Other projects include Kotli (100 mw), Gulpur (100 mw), Rajdhani (132 mw), Sehra (130 mw), and Patrind (147 mw). Construction work would be completed in 2014. Two projects, Chakothi-Hattian (139 mw) and Azad Patan (222 mw) would start functioning in 2016. The completion date of Kohala hydropower project (1100 mw) is 2017. The cost of these projects would be recovered within five years.
Sources said the cash-starved Azad Jammu and Kashmir government is giving priority to these hydroelectric potential, realising that hydropower projects after commissioning are a source of regular income with almost negligible maintenance expenses.
According to the AJK Hydro Electric Board (HED), currently AJK is producing 37.6 mw electricity from five hydro power stations with a capacity ranging from 0.4 mw to 30.4 mw. If the identified hydro electric potential of 17,000 mw in AJK is fully utilised it would completely wipe out the energy deficit of Pakistan, besides creating much-needed resources for the development of the liberated valley.
The KP government has started reconstruction of seven projects with a capacity of 2233 mw. Madyan (157 mw) and Asrit-Kedam (215 mw) projects would be built on Swat river and would be functional by the end of 2015. Three projects which would be completed by end of 2016 include Kalam Asrit (197 mw) on Swat River, Shogosin (132 mw) and Shushgai Zhendoli (144 mw) near Chitral District. Two more projects Kaigah (548 mw) and Suki Kinari (840 mw) in KP would be completed by end of 2017. Karot (720 mw) near Kotli in Punjab would be completed in 2015.
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