Construction work on the 22MW-Jabban Hydropower Project has been expedited and the project is likely to be completed in March 2013. The Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Raghib Shah stated this during his visit to the project being constructed in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. WAPDA Member (Power) Muhammad Qasim Khan and other officers concerned were also present during the visit.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman said that early completion of the hydropower projects is vital to mitigate electricity shortfall in the country. He said that WAPDA is implementing a two-pronged strategy on priority basis for optimum utilisation of the indigenous hydropower resources in view of the growing demand of electricity in the country. Under the strategy, WAPDA is not only constructing a number of large and medium-sized hydropower projects, but also rehabilitating and upgrading its aged hydel power stations. Jabban Hydropower Project is a component of the two-pronged strategy, he further said.
Earlier, the Chairman had a detailed round of the project area and witnessed the accelerated work at the site. Expressing satisfaction over pace of work, he directed the project authorities to further gear up their efforts for completion of the project as per schedule. The Chairman was briefed that the Jabban Hydropower Project would contribute 122 million units of low-cost hydel electricity annually to the national grid.
It is pertinent to mention that the French Development Agency AFD is providing 25 million Euros to help complete the Jabban Hydropower Project. It may be mentioned that the Jabban Hydel Station was established in 1937 with a generation capacity of 9.6 MW. It was the biggest hydropower station when Pakistan came into existence in 1947. In 1952, its generation capacity was elevated to 19.6 MW with the addition of two turbines of 5 MW each.
During the early days of Pakistan when there were not any of the hydel stations like the Warsak, Mangla and Tarbela, the Jabban Hydropower Station played a pivotal role in the development of the newly-born country. After a significant contribution towards the socio-economic uplift of the remote areas for about seven decades, the power station was badly damaged in a fire incident. Thereafter, WAPDA decided to undertake complete rehabilitation instead of its repair. Under the rehabilitation work, four units of 5.5 MW each are being installed to elevate its generation capacity to 22 MW.