This is excellent news, especially considering it will provide electricity to the remote regions of NWFP.
S Arabia, Kuwait to provide $72m for Golan Gol project
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have agreed to extend $ 72 million funding for the Golan Gol Hydropower Project that will generate 106 megawatts of electricity. The power plant will be established on the Kunar River in Chitral at a cost of $ 107 million, including $ 40 million as a foreign exchange component and $ 67 million as a local component. Saudi Fund indicated in a recent meeting it would extend $35 million for the project.
The meeting was held between officials of the government of Pakistan and Saudi Fund at the Ministry of Water and Power, Wapda sources told The News. Saudi Fund was represented by a three-member delegation headed by Mohammad S-Al Dalinan, while top officials of Ministry of Water and Power, Wapda and the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) represented Pakistan in the meeting. The Wapda sources said Kuwait Fund has already expressed its willingness to give $ 37 million for the project. In the project, a four-kilometre tunnel will be excavated to help generate 106 megawatts of electricity. Replying to a question, the sources said Wapda would lay a 220-kilometre electricity transmission line up to Chakdara, Dir and Swat, which would be connected to Wapda’s main system.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/mar2006-daily/25-03-2006/metro/i7.htm