106MW Golen Gol project will trigger green revolution in Chitral: Director
Gul Hammad Farooqi
Chitral, January 30: The 106 Megawatt under-construction Golen Goal Hydro Power Project (GGHP) will trigger green revolution in the area, said Project Director Khan Muhammad while addressing a gathering attended among others by Shahzada Iftikharuddin MNA from Chitral in Koghuzi.
He said that around 10 Cusecs water has been spared from entering the spillway which is sufficient to irrigate up to 400 acres of land. Besides, extra water is flowing through the water channel which can be used to run another micro hydro power station of up to 1.5 megawatt. He said that excavation work of tunnel for water channel to power house has been completed fully and the remaining work will complete until August 2015. He said that preliminary requirements have been completed already and the remaining work will also be finished very soon because two more contractors are joining the project.
He added that 25 people will be recruited from this area and in other sector local people would be given preference in employment to compensate them. Hence some technical staff would be hired from down district if not available here. He was briefing elders of the area and MNA Chitral at Golen Gol Staff Colony Koghuzi.
Abdul Wali Advocate, Akhunzadea Rahmatullah, Sharif Hussain, Abdul Rehman former MPA and other demanded that 30 megawatt electricity from GGHP be given to Chitral district, to help save deforestation in the region. They demanded for increasing rate of land which is needed for switch yard of the power house. They also urged on WAPDA high up to select another suitable place for this purpose to save beauty of Koghuzi.
Chris Ashdown Project Manager and Ricardo Croissant Chief Resident Engineer also briefed the participants on technical side of the project and declared it feasible.
Some elderof the area complained that they were invited by the Project Director to attend the briefing but that they were seated on ground in soil and WAPDA staff sat on chairs which is against Chitral’s cultural ethos.
They also complained that their land was acquired by WAPDA but payments are still pending.
Addressing on the occasion MNA Chitral Shahzada Iftikharuddin said that we do not want to repeat Tarbela Dam’s bad experience because affected people of Tarbela Dam are still visiting different offices for their payment and compensation. He also announced on behalf of CEO of SRSP that a micro hydro power house will be established here.
People of Chitral thanked Shahzada Masudul Mulk for approval of micro hydro power house which will electrify the affected area. It was also revealed that staff colony, including Mosque, School, hospital building and flats for staff have been completed two years ago but Wapda still not taken over its charge although physically they have occupied the colony and their staff living there but payment of 500 million still pending to contractor.
MNA Chitral said that Chitral having rich potential for hydro power and only Chitral can overcome energy crises in the country because of plentiful of water. He said that marble citiy have been approved in Chitral and after completion of this power house Chitral will be declared an industrial zone. He said that Chitral have potential of 15000 megawatt of hydro power generation. Some small hydro power houses have been approved he added. Late on they visited under construction water reserves, channel and expressed his satisfaction on work progress. A large number of people belonging to all walks of were present on the occasion.
