PESHAWAR
\nThe Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has lost around Rs112 billion since 1992 due to non utalization of its water share determined by the Indus Water System (IRSA).
\nThe report of position paper on the issues related to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has revealed that the province was unable to utalize approximately 3 million acres feet (MAF) of its share of water against its allocated 8.78MAF share determined by the Apportionment of the Waters of the Indus River System (1991), which makes up 34pc of its share and is being presently utalized by the lower riparians.
\nOwing to this huge non-utalization of water, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sustained a loss of around Rs112 billion since 1992, the report revealed.
\n\u201cThis huge water loss is posing serious challenges to agricultural and economic productivity besides food security,\u201d said ZA Malik, former Chairman, Economics Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP.
\nOut of 60,000MW hydel power potential of Pakistan, he said that about 30,000MW hydel power potential existed in Khyber Pakthukhwa that needed to be tapped through utalization of these waters for bringing more barren land under agriculture net.
\nHe said the untapped water and hydel power potential of KP has increased gap between supply and demand of electricity during summer, resulting an increase in load shedding mostly on high line losses feeders in peripheries of Peshawar, Bannu, DI Khan, Karak, Lakki Marwat and merged tribal districts.
\nPESCO Power Distribution Company spokesman told APP on Sunday that KP is currently receiving about 1873MW electricity from the national grid while its demand is about 3220 MW, thus facing a shortfall of 1347 being fulfilled through load management.
\nDr ZA Malik said China had constructed about 98,000 dams and India 5,334 dams while Pakistan has built only 150 dams since its independence and no big dam after Turbella.
\nHe urged Federal Government to assist KP Govt in construction of new dams, and that a scheme need to be put in place for compensation to KP for its non-utalized share of water by the provinces which use the same.
\nAs per the power generation policy 2015 approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI), the report said that water user charge (WUC) is to be paid at the rate of Rs0.425\/KWh by the private sector hydropower projects to the provinces where the project is allocated.
\nIt said the rate of WUC is to be reviewed every five years by the Federal Government to determine if an increase in WUC is necessary. For projects located in more than one provincial jurisdiction, the sharing of WUC would be decided among stakeholders on case to case basis and a review of WUC which was due in 2020 is yet to take place.
\nAccording to the said document, the council of common interest (CCI) has endorsed Rs128 billion as KP share under net hydel profit (NHP) and Rs52 billion as Punjab share of NHP for FY 2016-17 based on Kazi Committee Methodology (KMC).
\nLater on, an out of box committee for solution of payments of NHP to the provinces was formed that completed its findings in 2022 and recommended transfer of hydel power stations to the provinces and announcement of a second interim arrangement with enhanced rate of NHP.
\nCurrently water storage component of Wapda development projects is financed out of PSDP whereas the power house component is meet through Wapda revenue leaving no surplus cash for payment of NHP to the provinces.
\nThis mechanism needs to be reviewed so that the power house component is financed from PSDP funds thereby leaving surplus cash for payment of NHP to the provinces.
\nKP government has urged the placement of the out of box committee report before CCI for consideration and outstanding payment of Rs62 billion for FY 22-2023 should be made to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address its financial issues.
\nAs per 1973 constitution, Dr Malik said the concerned province in which the hydro electric station is situated shall be paid net hydel profits and the Cheshma Right Bank Lift Canal needs to be taken to its logical conclusion and funds should be provided from public sector development programme.
\nEngr Zahoor Hussain, Director Projects, Wapda (North) said that 72 percent work on multipurpose Kurram Tangi (Stage-1) Bannu and North Waziristan has been completed and expected to be inaugurated in November next year.
\nHe said design and feasibility studies of its stage-II was under process that would be completed with a loan assistance of Asian Development Bank.
\nEngr Zahoor said 1.2 million acres feet water would be stored and 80.9MW electricity to be generated from Kurram Tangi Dam, adding over three million people of southern districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa would be directly benefited.
\nBesides completion of 108MW Golen Gol dam in Chitral, the government has accelerated work on Mohmand dam of 800MW with 1.293 MAF water storage capacity that after completion would supplement\/irrigate 160,000 acres of existing land and about 18,237 acres of new land with annual benefits of Rs2.23 billion.
\nLikewise, 300 million gallons water per day will also be provided to Peshawar for drinking purpose with benefits of Rs.957 million from Mohmand dam. Mohmand dam would save Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera from floods having annual benefits in terms of flood mitigation was estimated at Rs1.467 billion besides producing 2.86 billion units of environment-friendly electricity to the National Grid every year with annual revenue of Rs. 45.76 billion. The overall annual benefits of the project stand at Rs. 51 billion.
\nHVDC converter station Nowshera would be linked by an HVDC transmission line to efficiently transmit electricity from hydropower-rich Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan via Afghanistan and onward via Torkhum to Afghanistan.
\nThe federal government has allocated Rs205.38 billion for power sector projects (HPP) in the budget 2023-24 include 2,160 MW Dasu HPP (Rs. 58,597 million), 1,410 MW Tarbela IV Extension (Rs. 590 million), 969 MW Neelum Jhelum (Rs. 4,828 million), and 1,530 MW Tarbela V Extension (Rs. 4,449.463 million).
\nMajor transmission projects such as CASA-1000 (Rs. 16,099.255 million), Dasu Evacuation (Rs. 5,667.094 million), Suki Kinari Evacuation (Rs. 13,800 million), and AMI IESCO project in the distribution sector (Rs. 3,000 million) in budget 2023-24.
\nAdditionally, eight projects for supplying electricity to Spcial Economic Zones (SEZs) have been allocated a total of Rs. 7,267.352 million and by the end of June 2024, the transmission sector is expected to have an additional capacity of 3,750 MVA on the 500kV grid and 6,900 MVA on the 220kV grid. The transmission lines will be extended by 522 km on the 500kV level and 668 km on the 220kV level.
\nResultantly, 6,985 villages would be electrified and 1,403,592 consumers for Distribution Companies (DISCOs) would be facilitated besides extending distribution lines of 132 kV by 1,843 km, and the capacity of 132 kV grids would be strengthened by 4,199 MVA.
\nKP Energy Department spokesman said that 36.6MW Daral Khwar HPP Madain Swat was completed and electricity generation with over Rs1.3 billion annual benefits started. Likewise, 300MW Balakot HPP worth Rs 85 billion approved by ECNEC would be constructed on River Kunhar in Mansehra.
\nAbout 10,000 MW projects are in different stages of implementation with a potential to generate about Rs100 billion annual revenue and efforts is on to utilize the remaining 14,000 MW through construction of new hydropower projects.
\nThree hydropower projects (HPPs) amounting of Rs177.244 billion including construction of 96 MW Batakundi amounting of Rs 40 billion and 188MW Naran of Rs70 billion Manshera would be developed with collaboration of International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Shangla. Feasibility study of 20.8MW Shangla HPP completed.
\n496MW Spat-Gah HPP amounting US$ 1,015 million is being developed for which MoU between KP government having 26pc share and M\/S Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) with 74pc share was signed. Gabral Kalam and Madyan HPP having 245MW capacity would be constructed with Rs115 billion.
\nModification in Malakand-III HPP amounting Rs 778 million initiated to generate additional 154 GWh electricity with Rs 382 million annual benefits. Work on seven different HPP having cumulative generation capacity of 214MW including Koto 69MW, Karora 11MW, Jabori 10MW, Matioltan 84 MW, Lawi 69MW, Capri Charkhel 10.2MW and Barando 6.5MW with Rs eight billion annual economic benefits were in different stages of completion.
\nMalakand-III (81 MW), Daral Khawar (36.6MW), Ranolia (17 MW), Pehur (18 MW), Machai (2.6MW), Shishi (1.8MW) and Reshun (4.2 MW) with accumulative 161.2MW generation commissioned to generate Rs5.4 billion revenue annually. About 12.8 million units would be saved having Rs 203 million annual economic benefits after converting 4,000 mosques on solar energy.
\nMore hydel power projects were required for conservation of water and arresting the problems of energy shortfall and load shedding for economic growth and prosperity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has lost around Rs112 billion since 1992 due to non utalization of its water share determined by the Indus Water System (IRSA). The report of position paper on the issues related to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has revealed that the province was unable to utalize approximately 3 million acres feet (MAF) of its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-339986","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n