ISLAMABAD, Oct 1: The government has given clearance to four major hydropower projects worth Rs35.2 billion to be completed by June 2006.

Official sources told Dawn on Tuesday that all the four projects were awaiting clearance by the Planning Commission which has been given after the removal of some objections by the sponsoring agency of the projects - the Water and Power Development Authority.

The Jinnah Hydro Electric Power Project would cost Rs13.5 billion with the Foreign Exchange Component (FEC) of Rs6.6 billion.

The project envisages construction of 96MW hydroelectric power plant at Jinnah barrage at the Indus River in Punjab.

A total of 688GWH energy would be produced annually from the power plant and would be connected to the main grid system at Daudkhel by 132kv transmission lines, proposed to be constructed under the project.

Officials said that the purpose of undertaking the power projects, along with other similar projects, was to manage additional capacity of about 9,000MW by 2011. The government had planned to increase power generation from present 12,064MW to about 21,000MW in 2011.

Allai Khawar Hydroelectric Power Project would cost Rs8 billion with Rs3.1 billion FEC.

The project envisages the construction of 121MW hydropower plant on river Allai Khawar, which is a tributary of Indus River in Kohistan District of NWFP.

A total of 463GWH would be generated annually from the power plant and would be evacuated through new transmission lines, proposed under the project.

The feasibility study for the project has been carried out by Sarhad Hydroelectric Development Organisation (Shydo) in collaboration with Chinese company - GTZ.

Duber Khawar Hydro Electric Power Project, which had also been cleared by the Planning Commission, would cost Rs8.8 billion with FEC of Rs3.7 billion.

The project seeks to construct 130MW hydropower plant at river Duber Khawar, which is a tributary of Indus River near Patan in NWFP.

A total of 595 GWH energy would be generated annually from the power plant. Its feasibility study was also carried out by Shydo in collaboration with the GTZ.

Khan Khawar Hydro Electric Power Project has been conceived to construct 72 MW hydro power plant at river Khan Khawar, which is a tributary of Indus River at Swat, NWFP.

The cost of the project is Rs4.9 billion with FEC of Rs2.4 billion. The scope of the project includes necessary civil works, electrical and mechanical equipment, transmission interconnection etc.

A total of 306GWH energy would be generated annually from the power plant which would be evacuated through new transmission lines proposed to be constructed under the project.

Most of the thermal power plants in public and private sector were based on imported oil and indigenous gas, whereas, abundant potential of hydro power generation and generation of coal were available in the country, officials said.

The government has emphasised to exploit the maximum indigenous resources in order to achieve reliance in power generation.