72 homes, 58 businesses, 8.9km roads are being relocated due to Karot Hydropower Project in Azad Kashmir

Rawalakot (IoK Exclusive): Photos : Social Media

Around 72 homes, 58 businesses and a stretch of 8.9 km road are expected to be relocated due to a hydropower project being constructed on river Jhelum in Azad Kashmir.

The Karot Hydropower Project (KHPL), which has been constructed on River Jhelum in Azad Kashmir is due for completion in April 2022.

The hydropower project is worth US$1,780 million and is constructed under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) power projects. The KHPL has notified that up to 88 percent of the work on the project has been completed.

The project is being constructed on a concrete gravity of 91 meters high dam with a crest length of 320 meters near the village of Gohra.

The dam’s reservoir will be approximately 152m cubic metres in volume, with a length of 27 kilometres.

The investment amounted to $1,780 million while 5,000 local people were directly employed for its construction.

The 720-megawatt Karot Hydropower Project was initially due to be completed in 2020. It has the capability to generate 3.249 billion units of clean electricity per year for the national grid.

According to local people the completion of hydropower projects in Azad Kashmir under CPEC will significantly change the economic life of the people of the state.

Azad Kashmir President Masood Khan recently visited the under-construction project and during a press briefing at the China Three Gorges South Asia Investment (Pvt) said that energy project will not only address energy crisis, but also bring socio-economic prosperity.