Federal Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that Kalabagh is a controversial dam and the government does not intend to start this project. "At the end of this year, Wapda will overcome the power crisis, since the government has started 2,200 MW power generation projects on the fast track basis and will be accomplished by the year-end," he told a press conference on Monday at the Wapda House.
The minister said former rulers had not generated even single unit electricity and the present government has to take the power shortfalls as a challenge. He said the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) would enhance the power generation capacity of the existing grid stations. "These grids are not operating in full capacity and Wapda will get approximately 1,000 MW additional power, which will help overcome the prevailing power shortfall", he added.
He said the water reservoir position was improving and Wapda would get 500 MW additional electricity after snow melting on the hills. On the pragmatic measures taken by the government for the energy conservation, he said all the commercial markets would be closed at 9 pm for three months - from June to August.
He said Wapda would not provide power connection to big advertising billboards on main roads in cities. He said there would be a complete ban on air-condition from 8 am to 11am in all the provincial and federal government departments.
"To take more advantage of the daylight clocks will be advanced one hour," he added. Raja Ashraf said the government had earnest desire to solve the power crisis issue that was why Rs 120 billion had been allocated for the development of the power projects.
Tenders for the Basha dam would be launched next year and Nundi Pure 4500 MW, Chichoo ki Malian 500 MW, Dawddo Power Project 500 MW and Faisalabad 400 MW power projects would be accomplished in the next two years.
The minister said the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) would continue its functioning separately but he bluntly rejected an impression of merger of Pepco into Wapda. He said the government would use all possible rescues for the alternative energy purpose. "The authority concerned is working on the idea of solar and wind energies," he added.
Comments
Comments are closed.