PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is far behind to meet the target of constructing 350 micro hydro power stations in the Province as announced by PTI Chief Imran Khan.
Talking to the state-run news agency in Peshawar on Monday, Official sources in Energy Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that the provincial government has completed only 150 mini micro power stations till December 31, 2016 whereas work on 40 others was yet to be initiated.
The PTI Chief Imran Khan during his address to people in Swat district on April 21, 2014 had publically announced construction of 350 micro hydel power stations on various rivers and streams across the province.
Official sources in Energy Department KPK said that the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with an assistance of NGOs had completed only 150 micro power stations in nine different districts of the province till December 31 last year whereas 131 others are in different stages of construction.
Official sources said that out of the completed mini power stations, 15 have been completed in Abbottabad, 41 in Batagram, 28 in Chitral, 27 in Swat, 11 in Kohistan, nine in Shangla, 12 in Upper Dir, one in Lower Dir and six in Malakand respectively.
About under construction stations, official sources said as many as 14 are being constructed in Batagram, 27 in Chitral, 18 in Swat, 19 in Kohistan, 15 in Shangla, 27 in Upper Dir, two in Lower Dir and nine in Buner district respectively.
The feasibility studies of 307 stations have been approved against 310 actual identified sites whereas work on 40 others was yet to be initiated.
Sources said that delay in release of funds, monitoring by the watch dogs and litigations etc had adversely affected pace of work on the construction of these stations. They said that electricity generated from these stations was being provided to the local communities.
Apart from these stations, they added that feasibility studies on 10 hydropower projects with capacity of 1698 megawatt have been completed in Chitral and Lower Dir districts that would be completed with an estimated cost of US $4979 million to supplement the Federal Government efforts to address the grave problem of energy shortfall in the province.
The report of feasibility studies of these gigantic hydro projects has been submitted to the concerned departments/organizations for approval with a request to include it in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC), sources added.
These hydropower projects include construction of Shushgai-Zhendoli 144 MW capacity in Chitral with an estimated cost of $288 million, Shogo-Shin-132 MW in Chitral estimated cost $270 million, Laspure Marigram-230 MW in Chitral cost $552 million, Mujigram-Shaghore-63 MW in Chitral costing $182 million, Barilkot Patrak 47 MW in Lower Dir cost $22 million, Istaro-Booni Chitral 72 MW costing $276 million, BooniZait Chitral 350 MW costing $753 million, Jameshill More Lashti Chitral 260 MW costing $616 million and Gahrit-Swir Lasht Chitral 377 MW power generation capacity costing $1811 million respectively.
These projects would not only produce inexpensive electricity to cater to the high energy demands of KPK people but also store floods and rain waters for agriculture consumption.
