Islamabad: The Neelum Jehlum Hydropower Project (NJHPP) would become fully functional in April next year, said Chairman WAPDA Lt. General (R) Muzzamal Hussain during his meeting with Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan in Islamabad on Saturday.
Chairman WAPDA called on President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan and discussed with him progress on hydropower generation projects in Azad Kashmir, issue of water use charges of Mangla Dam, Indus Water Treaty and construction of dams on eastern and western rivers flowing into Pakistan from Indian occupied Kashmir by India.
Chairman WAPDA said first unit of NJHPP would start generating electricity by February 2018 and rest of two will start generation with full capacity in in March and April in same year.
He told that eighty percent work on the transmission line of Neelum Jehlum Project has been completed and assured president that electricity needs of Azad Kashmir would be met on priority basis besides fulfilling the demands of the state government with regard to benefit and compensation of water use charges of Mangla Dam and other similar projects. He also assured that water will be provided to residents of Mirpur City for domestic use and drinking purpose from Mangla Dam. Speaking on the occasion, President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan said there should be national consensus on Indus Water Treaty keep in view the future needs of water.The AJK President said that India is violating Indus Water Treaty and threatening to divert the flow of the rivers. He underlined the need of building big water reservoirs to meet the water scarcity in the country.
Earlier talking to former chairman of British Council David Green who called on him at Kashmir house, AJK President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan has said Kashmir Education Foundation is equipping students of Azad Kashmir with modern education and it needs to be generously supported by Kashmiris and Pakistanis abroad.
President said the foundation is running Pearl Valley Public School, Banjosa Public School, Sawan Public School and College of Teacher Education Basali in the outskirts of Rawal Pindi where children of rural areas especially female students are being imparted quality education.
He said that AJK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with British Council for training of teachers and enhancing standard of education recently. The Board of Trustees of Kashmir Education Foundation are desirous that foundation should also be made part of the MoU. The president further said that the teachers of Kashmir Education Foundation were initially trained by British teachers in early years of their teachings career and most of them are now serving at senior positions.
He said that founder of this foundations were towering personalities like Gen. Muhammad Rahim Khan and Mr. M R Khan and now the foundation intends to expand its scope of working in the field of education. For this purpose he added British Council and members of Kashmiri community residing in United Kingdom should cooperate with the foundation.
