Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) is deploying two state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at a cost of Rs8 billion on the strategically important 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project. This will reduce construction period of the project by about 18 months, resulting in an estimated benefit of Rs.60 billion. The two German-manufactured TBMs, being imported by the contractor, are expected to reach Pakistan by the end of this month.
WAPDA Chairman Shakil Durrani stated this while briefing Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Nadeem-ul-Haq during their visit to various components of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project including underground powerhouse, weir site, diversion tunnel, de-sander and main tunnels, etc. Federal Secretary Planning Asif Bajwa, AJK Chief Secretary Muhammad Shahzad Arbab, Planning Commission Member Energy Shahid Sattar, WAPDA Member (Water) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, Member (Power) Muhammad Qasim Khan and senior officers concerned were also present during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, WAPDA Chairman said Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, scheduled to be completed in 2016, will provide about 5.15 billion units of electricity annually to the national grid. He further said annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs45 billion, adding that the project will pay back its cost in about seven years. Earlier, Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project Chief Executive Officer Lt Gen (Retd) Muhammad Zubair, during the briefing, said that overall progress on the project stands at 30 per cent. Some 18.5-kilometer long tunnels and adits have so far been excavated; while the crucial diversion tunnel to divert the river Neelum has also been completed in October last year in record time of two years. He said construction work on all the three sites is in full swing. He added that work on powerhouse is heading as per schedule, while work on transformer hall is ahead of schedule. He also explained reasons behind cost escalation of the project.
Neelum Jhelum Consultants Project Manager Christiaan Groskoff, briefing the visitors said that redesigning of the project in the wake of devastating earthquake of 2005, delay in acquisition of land and unstable supply of electricity have been the major challenges for the project. Muzaffarabad Commissioner Zafar Khan assured the project authorities that the crucial piece of land measuring 16 kanals and 6 marlas will be handed over to WAPDA within a week.
