NJHP to start production from mid-April

LAHORE: Neelum Jhelum hydropower project (NJHP) will start generating electricity from its 969-megawatt plant from the mid of the current month, a senior official said on Monday.

Shahid Hamid, additional chief engineer (dams) of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said development of new water and hydropower projects is important to cope up with the ever-increasing demand of water and energy.

“Per capita water availability in the country has decreased due to rapid growth in population and depleting water storage capacity of the reservoirs because of the natural phenomenon of sedimentation,” Hamid told a meeting.

The official said Pakistan can store only 10 percent of its annual river flow against the world average of 40 percent. “Wapda is committed to optimum development of water and hydropower resources in the country and working on a comprehensive strategy.”

Hamid said Indus cascade is Pakistan’s most precious asset, which will help in adding a big quantum of cheap hydropower generation and water storage. “An additional area of 20 million-acre feet land can be brought under irrigation owing to construction of new reservoirs.” Wapda’s official said Diamer Basha, Mohmand, stage one of Kurram Tangi and Naulong dams are ready for construction. “These dams have total storage capacity of more than eight million-acre feet and will produce about 5,000 megawatts of cheap hydroelectricity after their completion.”

Hamid further said Wapda inaugurated Golen Gol hydropower project in January and Tarbela 4th extension hydropower project in February. “The third hydropower project of Wapda, Neelum Jhelum, an excellence of engineering, is scheduled to be inaugurated in the mid of this month,” he added. “All these three hydropower projects will add 2,487 megawatts low cost hydropower in the grid.”