WB support sought to build power project on Swat river

ISLAMABAD, Sept 06 (The Dawn): The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is seeking World Bank assistance for the development of 88MW run-of-river hydropower project on the Gabral tributary of the Swat river to generate about 339 gigawatt hours of electricity annually.

The World Bank is currently evaluating the project which will be located near the Kalam town in Swat district. The proposed project involves construction of 21-meter high riverbed and 100 meter wide weir with spillways, under sluices, fish ladder, outlet structures and sand trap, according to the project document.

The project will be run-of-river, with a limited reservoir area of fifty acres. The most direct and negative impacts of the project will be on aquatic ecology caused by the construction of a weir and diversion of river flows and land acquisition.

The overall positive impact of the project generating renewable electricity with minimal carbon emission, will be experienced countrywide through the provision of enough energy to power the equivalent of about 116,000 homes per year.