KP govt constructs 150 micro hydropower stations

PESHAWAR: The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa constructed 150 micro hydropower stations in the past two years, officials said on Monday.

Officials at the provincial energy department told APP that the government with assistance of non-government organisations completed these micro power stations on various rivers and streams in nine different districts of the province till December 31 last year. Around 131 are at different stages of construction, they added.

Out of the completed mini power stations, around 15 are 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.

Officials 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 districts.  The feasibility studies of 307 stations have been approved against the actual identified sites of 310 whereas work on 40 others is yet to be initiated.

An official said delay in release of funds and litigations adversely affected the pace of work on the construction of these stations. The official said electricity generated from these stations is being provided to the local communities.

The official said feasibility studies on 10 hydropower projects with capacity of 1,698 megawatts have been completed in Chitral and Lower Dir districts that would be completed with an estimated cost of $4.979 billion 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 for approval with a request to include it in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, the official added.

These hydropower projects include Shushgai Zhendoli (144MW capacity in Chitral with an estimated cost of $288 million), Shogo Shin (132MW in Chitral with an estimated cost of $270 million), Laspure Marigram (230MW in Chitral with an estimated cost $552 million), Mujigram Shaghore (63MW in Chitral costing $182 million), Barilkot Patrak (47MW in Lower Dir costing $22 million), Istaro Booni Chitral (72MW costing $276 million), Booni Zait Chitral (350MW costing $753 million), Jameshill More Lashti Chitral (260 MW costing $616 million) and Gahrit Swir Lasht Chitral (377MW with an estimate cost of $1.811 billion).