Work stepped up on Balakot Hydropower Project
Chinese engineers have accelerated the pace of work on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) largest hydropower project, Balakot Hydropower Project, located in district of Mansehra of the province.
The project will generate 300 megawatts of electricity, which is expected to result in annual revenue amounting to over Rs15 billion for the province.
Chief Executive of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization, Engineer Naeem Khan, conducted an on-site visit to the project. He was informed that work on the tunnel and colony is progressing at a brisk pace. The issue of land acquisition for the project has been resolved, and other pending matters are expected to be resolved soon.
On the occasion, confidence was expressed in the progress made in the land acquisition for the project, and it was stated that the project’s design has already been completed within the specified timeframe.
The Balakot Hydropower Project is a flagship venture with a hefty investment of $27.55 million. The project is set to be completed in the next 7 years through financial cooperation from the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Upon project completion, the province is projected to receive an annual revenue of Rs15 billion and provide employment opportunities to around 1,400 individuals.
At this occasion, Chief Executive Engineer Naeem Khan expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing work in the project’s tunnel and colony, urging the Chinese contractors and staff to continue their efforts and further expedite work on the project.