Energy production under Suki Kanari hydropower project will begin in 2022

MANSEHRA: The 885 megawatts Suki Kanari hydropower project will begin production in 2022, said an official on Tuesday.

“We have completed more than 55 per cent of work and expect that the power production will begin in 2022,” project deputy director (commercial and technical) Bilal Khan told reporters.

The Suki Kanari project, whose site is on the Kunhar River in Kaghan valley of Mansehra district, is the first energy venture being executed as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Bilal said 8,000 people, including 1,000 Chinese nationals, were associated with the initiative, while only 300 Chinese workers had gone home on leave.

“The return of Chinese engineers and labourers has been suspended since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan city lately but work on the project is in full swing and will be completed as scheduled,” he said.

The official said the Chinese workers had been stopped from leaving the country as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.

He said 760 electric towers had been installed to link the powerhouse with the dam’s tunnels, while Rs33 million had been paid to landowners.

Mr Bilal said almost all due payments had been made to the owners of over 8,000 kanals of land acquired for the project.

CRACKDOWN ON HOARDERS: The district administration on Tuesday began a crackdown on the hoarders of sugar and wheat flour.

“All magistrates and officials of the district food department will check sugar and wheat flour hoarding in Mansehra, Oghi and Balakot tehsils round the clock even on public holydays,” deputy commissioner Aurangzeb Haider Khan told a meeting in his office here.

The meeting was attended by heads and officials of the government departments, district food controller Shad Mohammad Khan and additional deputy commissioner Yasir Khan.

The deputy commissioner said he wanted the sale of wheat flour and sugar at the rate fixed by the district administration, so the hoarders and profiteers should be dealt with strictly.

“You won’t avail yourselves of public holiday on Wednesday (today) and continue to check the availability of sugar and wheat flour across the district. Those hoarding essential commodities should be put behind bars,” he said.

District food controller Shad Mohammad Khan said the department was ensuring the availability of wheat flour at all 45 points set up across the district for the sale of 20kg bag at the subsidised rate of Rs808.