About 250 micro-level hydro projects, executed through community based local institutional mechanism, will become fully operational and start providing electricity to some 24,000 people in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the end of 2016.
This was disclosed by heads of various non-governmental organisations working on the construction of hydro projects while addressing a joint press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday.
Contractors headed by Fazal Rabbi, chief executive officer of Hydrolink Engineering and Equipment Company (Pvt) limited sharing work experience with communities, said that people living in the remote localities of in Chitral, Dir and Batgram districts had highly welcomed launching of the micro-level hydro projects as they did not have power supply since independence of the country.
He said it was extremely sad situation that power supply lines had passed through different localities but some villages in the districts were not given the facility of electricity for unknown reasons.
The micro-level hydro projects, he said, were not less than blessing for the hitherto neglected localities.
Appreciating the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Rabbi said that the hydro projects would help tap the water potential and enable people to get electricity on low cost to increase their income. Besides the people reduce dependence on imported fuel (kerosene) and would protect their forests.
He said that the hydro projects were more useful for local people as it was low cost from Rs2 to Rs4 per unit decided mutually by the local community.
"We, being the implementer, are confident that by the end of 2016 about 250 MMHPs will become fully operational and start providing electricity to some 245,000 mountain people through community-based local institutional mechanism.
The NGOs/construction firms, he said, were working with Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) under close supervision and vigilance of Energy and Power (E&P) Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2014, saying that the 356 MMHPs were purely government-funded community empowerment and participatory project working successfully."
"We have so far found PEDO's new management and E&P Department fully committed and working hard in reforming and transforming PEDO into self sustainable institution that will not only fulfil the provincial energy demands but also contribute to the national energy security," he claimed.
They were initiated in China and successfully practised in Switzerland, Nepal, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and others with government support. However, in Pakistan, the KP Government has for the first time initiated these MMHPs projects.
The Hydrolink chief said that PEDO was being run very transparently and with zero tolerance to any bribery, corruption and irregularity because license was given during two weeks of application and feasibility was submitted within six months.
The institutional mechanism and responsiveness has very much improved and further struggles are underway to completely standardise its services and make the organisation fully result oriented.
He disclosed that the 356 MMHPs progress had suffered due to some initial challenges but the new management overcomes them in time. However, the overall progress and quality of work has no precedent.
The projects are very closely and regularly monitored by PEDO, E&P Department and provincial monitoring and evaluation (M&E) directorate. The quality of work has remained exemplary as compared to the costs. The progress has now been expedited after the removal of the procedural and technical hindrances.