PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said the provincial government is developing viable alternative energy resources, and launching community driven micro hydel projects and energy conservation programmes to overcome loadshedding and usher economic development in the province.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, the CM said several hydel power projects were in progress. He said one such project would be completed by December this year and generate 55 megawatt electricity, another project would start generating 61 megawatt till December 2018 and yet another project would generate 153 megawatt till December 2019, respectively.

Under the initiative, he said Machai hydel power project with production capacity of 17 megawatt at Mardan would be completed by the end of next month, 36 megawatt Daraal Khwar by end of December 2015 while technical and financialbids for 69 megawatt Lawi (Chitral) and 84 megawatt Matiltan (Swat) were in progress.

Similarly, Mr Khattak said three hydel projects, including 31 megawatt Koto (Lower Dir), seven megawatt Jabori Mansehra and 10 megawatt Karora Shangla approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) were now ready for inauguration and would be complete by June 2018.

Mr Khattak said that financial advisers were being hired to get finances for Sharmai Dir 150 megawatt, Shushai-Zhendoli (Chitral) 144 megawatt and Shogosin Chitral 132 megawatt projects.

The chief minister said the provincial government had also initiated 356 micro hydel power projects in 12 districts at union council and village levels.

He maintained that of the total projects, 207 projects of up to 50KW would be completed by September end this year, 87 projects of up to 150KW by December, 31 projects of up to 250KW by September 2016 and 31 more would be completed by December 2016, respectively.