Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken decisive action in response to the technical fault discovered in the 969MW Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project. This initiative comes after the project was temporarily shut down due to an issue detected in its head race tunnel earlier this month.
Located along the River Neelum in Azad Kashmir, the Neelum-Jhelum project, despite its capacity to generate 5.15 billion units of power annually, has encountered recurring challenges. Its operational setbacks date back to 2022 when a fault in the head race tunnel led to its initial shutdown. While the project resumed operations in September 2023 after a year of repairs, a similar issue arose in April 2024, resulting in another suspension of power generation.
During his recent visit to the project site in Azad Kashmir, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the urgency of investigating the matter. He expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in finalizing the inquiry’s findings and instructed officials to provide a report promptly. Moreover, Sharif underscored the need to expedite repair work to restore power generation without further delay.
Asserting the importance of accountability, Sharif insisted on a thorough investigation to determine whether the fault stemmed from design flaws or construction lapses. He stressed that the responsibility for any errors must be identified and addressed promptly.
Sharif highlighted the substantial investment of $5 billion in the project, far exceeding its initial estimated cost of $40 million. He expressed disappointment that despite this significant expenditure, the project continues to grapple with technical issues.
Describing the Neelum-Jhelum project as a critical asset in Pakistan’s power sector, Sharif emphasized the necessity of ensuring its long-term functionality. To uphold transparency and impartiality, he mandated that the inquiry be conducted by third-party experts rather than by the project’s designer or contractor.
In closing, Sharif reiterated the government’s commitment to accountability and pledged to uphold the trust of the nation by holding accountable those responsible for any shortcomings in the project’s execution.
