MANSEHRA: The 870-megawatt Suki Kanari hydropower project, which is the only energy project being executed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative, would start electricity generation in year 2022.

This was stated by MPA Ahmad Hussain Shah while talking to mediapersons on the occasion of water diversion from Kunhar River for building the dam reservoir.

“We need such projects to overcome energy shortfall in the country,” provincial minister for finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra told the water diversion ceremony held in Naran at Kaghan valley.

Provincial ministers Atif Khan and Shahram Tarakai were also present on the occasion.

The company working on the project diverted water flow from Kunhar River to the mountainside in order to build the embankment/dam reservoir.

Atif Khan said that Kaghan valley would now meet the electricity needs of the country. Mr Tarakai said that more such projects were needed to resolve energy crisis in the country. Mr Shah said that besides Suki Kanari power project, the Hazara Motorway was also being completed under the CPEC initiatives.

“I am optimistic that Hazara Motorway would be made operational next month,” he said and added that this motorway would pave the way for promotion of tourism in all parts of the division.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2019