Senior Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao has said that work on hydel power projects worth Rs 5 billion is in progress to electrify far-flung areas of the province. These projects would collectively generate hydel power of 50 megawatts and would be completed by the end of the next financial year.
He was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of a locally manufactured T-34 Hydel Turbine at Khanpur Dam, district Haripur on Monday. He said the coalition government was sincerely working on energy action plan under which power projects for generating upto 2,500MW electricity would be implemented.
The turbine is manufactured by Chief Executive, Chitral Engineering Works, Chaudhry Akhtar, who has 28-year experience in the hydel sector. The turbine has the generation capacity from 25 kilowatt to one megawatt. Akhtar Chaudhry has so far manufactured up to 500 turbines including T-32 and T-33, which had proved successful in Chitral. On this occasion, the senior minister paid tributes to the products of Akhtar Chaudhry in hydel power sector and appreciated his services and experience. "Such productive work is the reflection of the talent of the province and leaving no ambiguity behind that our people are hardworking and intelligent," he added. He said the government would fully support such talented persons to give opportunity to the hardworking and talented people to come forward in that regard.
He further said energy crisis was top problem of the time, adding that in wake of such situation the provincial government after coming into power declared energy emergency in the province. The senior minister directed the Managing Director Pakhtunkhwa Hydel Development Organisation, to sit with those introducing services in hydel sector of the province and take measures for the resolution of problems faced in that regard.