September 18, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 17, 1429

MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 17: The AJK government has asked Wapda to direct its Hydro Electric Planning Organisation (HEPO) to conduct studies of potential hydropower generation sites in AJK which had been ignored in the past.

In a letter to chairman Wapda Shakil Durrani, AJK secretary electricity Mohammad Iqbal Ratyal pointed out that AJK had abundant hydropower potential which being a renewable source of energy could be harnessed to meet ever rising energy demands in the country.

Mr Ratyal recalled that the HEPO had remained active in late eighties and early nineties in carrying out comprehensive studies/planning of potential sites in the catchments of rivers Jhelum, Poonch and Neelum and as a result a number of sites were identified some of which had already been developed and some were in the process of being developed. These studies had enabled HEPO to compile a rich data bank on area topography, hydrology, geology and power system, he said.

However, Mr Ratyal pointed out, since some areas in the Neelum and Jhelum river catchments were left out by HEPO apparently due to difficulties in access or security concerns at that time, it was estimated that more than 15,000 megawatt hydropower generation potential was available in the potential sites yet to be identified.

— Staff Correspondent