China to expedite PoK hydropower project to meet Pak demand

The Chinese firm building the Rs 274.88-billion Neelum-Jhelum hydropower plant in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, plans to deploy more personnel to expedite completion of the project.
The Chinese company building the Neelum-Jhelum mega hydropower plant has decided to deploy more engineers and technical staff to expedite work on the 969 MW project, Pakistan's state-run APP news agency reported.
India has been expressing concern over China taking up infrastructure projects in PoK, considering its disputed status.
Officials of the China Gezhouba Group of Companies (CGGC), the project contractor, held talks in Beijing with a Pakistani team and briefed them about deployment of additional Chinese technical staff, the report said adding that the induction of additional work force will help completion of the project before the given timetable.

The meeting was held as a follow-up to the recent visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here during which the progress of the project construction was reviewed.
The company had informed Sharif that the project was expected to be completed by June 2016.

However, in view of its acute energy crisis, Pakistan wants the mega hydropower project to be completed before the given time frame.
Before embarking on his visit to China, Sharif had visited the site of the project and directed the authorities concerned to expedite construction work and make it functional by 2014-15 to overcome Pakistan's crippling power shortage.

Timely completion of the project would reduce the gap between demand and supply of power in Pakistan.
Moreover, it has strategic importance as with its early completion the government of Pakistan can claim water rights of river Neelum, the report said.
The project which is in the vicinity of PoK's capital Muzaffarabad envisages the diversion of Neelum river water through a tunnel and after producing power, water will flow into the Jhelum river.