ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs2.534 billion in next fiscal year budget for small hydel power projects in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan with the objective to increase hydel power share in the energy mix.

A meeting of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan was informed that allocated funds of Rs2.534 billion are for ongoing and new small hydropower projects. An official after the meeting told Business Recorder that there is significant potential of hydropower projects and nine small projects of up to 50MW are being undertaken. Funds have been earmarked for three new and six ongoing hydel power projects in GB and AJK.

The government plans to implement three new hydel power project – 32 MW hydropower project Attabad, 30MW hydropower project Ghowari and 05MW hydropower project Hassanabad-Hunza – and allocated Rs300 million for them in budget for the next fiscal year. The government has also allocated Rs300 million for 48 MW Jagran hydropower project in AJK in next fiscal year.

An amount of Rs582 million has been earmarked in next fiscal year budget for 20MW hydropower project Hanzai, Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as Rs200 million for 26MW Shagaruthung hydropower project Skardu.

The government also earmarked Rs302 million for 34.5MW for Harpo hydropower project in budget for next fiscal year and Rs100 million for construction of 16MW hydro power project at Thack Chalas. The government also allocated Rs750 million for construction of 16MW hydropower project Naltu-III in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The meeting was also informed that development schemes in Gilgit-Baltistan are seven with four new ones, while in Gilgit the development schemes are 10 with seven new schemes.

The total development schemes in Skardu are 10 with one new and nine ongoing, Diamer has 10 schemes with three new and seven ongoing, Hunza has six ongoing development schemes and Ghanche has six development schemes with two ongoing for various sectors.