PM inaugurates Golen Gol Hydropower project in Chitral

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday inaugurated the first unit of Golen Gol Hydropower Project to generate 36 megawatts of electricity in Chitral.

Constructed at Golen Gol, a tributary of River Mastuj, near Chitral the first unit would exclusively cope with the needs of Chitral and adjacent areas.

The total installed generation capacity of Golen Gol Hydropower project is 108 MW with three generating units each of them having a capacity of 36 MW.

The first unit of the project has been completed, while the second and the third unit would be commissioned in March and May 2018 respectively.

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The project will provide 436 million units of electricity to the national grid every year. Benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs 3.7 billion a year.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the prime minister said the project will provide uninterrupted electricity supply round the year to the people of Chitral.

“Golen Gol Hydropower Project will result in a new era of progress and prosperity in Chitral, besides stabilizing the national economy by providing low-cost and environment-friendly electricity to the national grid,” he said.

He said the federal government was implementing development schemes all over the country to improve socio-economic condition of the people.

The premier said the government had fulfilled its promises by practically implementing an unprecedented number of development projects in the country.

“The present government has succeeded in overcoming the problem of load shedding in the country,” he said.

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Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the government would provide additional funds for development of Chitral.

He said that Gilgit-Chitral-Chakdarra road had been included in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and it would be used as an alternate route.

The prime minister said that billions of rupees were being spent on improvement of communication system in Chitral.

MNA from Chitral Shahzada Iftikharuddin and senior officials were also present as the PM unveiled the plaque of the project.