Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muzammil Hussain (retd) held a meeting with Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan to review the long awaited commissioning of Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project. Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) Chief Executive Officer also accompanied him.
He briefed AJK Prime Minister on a successful turnaround of the project, saying it will add significant share of hydel electricity to the national grid of about five billion Kilowatt hours (units) and revenue of Rs 50 billion annually.
The significance of the project in the context of Indus Water Treaty and Indian design of creating water shortage by creating illegal storage also came under discussion.
The AJK Prime Minister appreciated the pace of work as well as WAPDA's support in all the community development programmes and emphasized that WAPDA and AJK Community Development Department should complete the ongoing project at the fast pace.
The chairman WAPDA also thanked the AJK government and the people for their support to the project and reiterated that sum of Rs 2.27 billion has been increased to Rs 5.231 billion for 22 development projects which are underway by the AJK government. Efforts by some element misquoting the negative effects of the project also came under discussion and was reiterated that quantity of environmental flows and the needs of drinking water are all being fulfilled in consonance with environment studies. Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project after its completion will be an engineering marvel and has contributed in capacity building of engineers in Pakistan.