ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered to take strict action against those responsible for defects in the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.
Chairing a meeting about the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project in Islamabad on Sunday, he directed the immediate completion of the inquiry report regarding the recent closure of the project.
The Prime Minister further added that it is unfortunate that concrete lining was not done on the project despite defects in the design pointed out by experts. He said criminal negligence was committed in such an important project.
He asked as to why a detailed geological survey was not carried out regarding the project. He further noted that criminal negligence was done by not conducting a third-party validation of the project.
Shehbaz Sharif asked to form a committee immediately for the reactivation of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.
Former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan and the head of the investigation committee carrying out the recent faults in the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project presented the preliminary inquiry report in the meeting.
The meeting was briefed that a reduction in electricity generation occurred on 29th April this year because of the pressure drop in the right and left headrace tunnels of the Hydropower Project. Similarly, power generation was stopped completely on the second May this year.
The meeting was told that the closure of the power project is causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer. It was said the current fault occurred in the rock burst zone.
The meeting was further informed that a significant decrease in electricity generation was noticed during the PTI government in 2021 because of the abnormal drop in pressure in the headrace tunnel, but this matter was ignored.
It was told that during the PTI rule, no repair work was carried out regarding the fault in the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project in 2021.
The meeting was also apprised that seismic and geophysical factors were ignored in the construction of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.
