Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman, Tariq Hameed said that a comprehensive plan had been chalked out to increase power generation in the country so that consumers could be facilitated to face minimum inconvenience during the next summer.
He was addressing participants of the 85th National Management Course of Pakistan Administrative Staff College at the Wapda House here on Monday. Tariq said, Wapda would install two container-mounted generators, having a total capacity of 250 MW, which are being imported on rental basis and would start production by December 2006. While, he said, three separate power plants, having total capacity of 600 MW were being constructed outside Lahore, Gujranwala and Faisalabad, which would come into production by December 2007.
A 500 MW combined cycle power plant was also being constructed in Chichoki Mallian besides making efforts to increase the capacity of existing thermal power plants, he said.
Tariq said that though tariff was last increased in September 2003, Wapda was able to increase its revenue to a record amount of Rs 257 billion by providing electricity to 15.9 million consumers this year.
He said Wapda had electrified 13,000 villages last year and plans to electrify 15,000 villages by the end of current financial year. "Electricity is a basic need of every citizen and the Wapda is committed to fulfil the pledge made by the government to provide electricity to every village in the country by December 2007", he assured.
Answering a question raised by a participant, he said that electricity tariff for the industrial consumers in Pakistan was less than what was being paid by industry in its neighbourhood. Besides, the Wapda was spending an amount of Rs 46 billion on the subsidy to consumers.
While dilating on the water issue and the need for new reservoirs, the Wapda chairman said that all national and international experts agree that water was available and reservoirs should be constructed in the country not only to bring more land under cultivation but also to produce cheap electricity.
He disclosed that against the international average of 40 percent of use of available water, Pakistan is only using 13 percent of water available for the construction of reservoirs.