LAHORE, Feb 21: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Shakil Durrani on Monday directed the Chinese contractor – Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) – to accelerate work on Jinnah Hydropower Project so that it could start generating electricity by August this year.

Mr Durrani issued these directions during his visit to the site of the project that is a part of a least-cost energy generation plan being executed by Wapda on a priority basis. It is aimed at harnessing indigenous hydropower resources with a view to improving the ratio of hydel electricity in the national grid.

Speaking on the occasion, he said it had become all the more important to complete the project at the earliest because the country direly needed electricity to cope with an increasing demand.

“Besides gearing up construction activities on the other components of the project, the first unit shall be completed by the mid-August. However, quality of work and safety of the engineers and workers serving in the project be properly taken care of,” he directed the contractor.

The chairman assured the contractor that Wapda would provide all possible support to the Chinese firm in completing the remaining work on the project.

Jinnah Hydropower is being constructed as a run-of-the-river project on the River Indus at Jinnah Barrage in Mianwali district. On its completion, the project will contribute 688 million units (Gwh) of low-cost electricity annually to the national grid. Annual benefits of the project are estimated at about Rs3 billion.

The 96MW Jinnah, 17MW Gomal Zam, 72-MW Khan Khwar, 121-MW Allai Khwar and 130-MW Duber Khwar hydropower projects were at an advanced stage in August last year when the devastating floods affected the construction activities. Wapda is striving hard to complete these projects by the end of the year 2011. Of them, 72-MW Khan Khwar Hydropower Project has already been completed and will soon be formally inaugurated.