The share of hydropower will gradually be increased in the total energy mix of Pakistan, which will reduce the cost of doing business and facilitate the growth of business activities, said Chairman WAPDA, Lt-Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd).
Muzammil Hussain gave a detailed briefing to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) delegation about the dams and water reservoir projects being constructed by WAPDA in the country.
The delegation was led by Muhammad Ahmed Waheed President ICCI. Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Malik Sohail Hussain former Senior Vice President ICCI and Chief Coordinator FPCCI UBG, and Muhammad Aslam Khokhar were in the delegation.
He said that the construction activities on the strategically important Diamer Basha Dam Project were picking up the pace and this project would provide over 16,000 jobs to the engineers and locals leading to poverty alleviation and socio-economic uplift of the local area. He said that Diamer Basha Dam was at the highest point of the world with a huge water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and a massive power generation capacity of 4500MW.
The Chairman said that the dam is a vital project for the water, food, and energy security of Pakistan and will go a long way in stabilizing the economy. He said this dam would produce low-cost energy that will boost the industrial and agricultural productivity of the country. He also briefed the ICCI delegation about the under-construction hydropower projects including Keyal Khawar, Dasu, Khurram Tangi Dams.
He said that Mohmad Dam, Bunji Dam, and Tarbela 5th Extension were also ready for construction and all these dams would be instrumental in generating cheap hydropower in the country.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry appreciated WAPDA for gaining a stable rating, which was a great achievement for it. He also lauded the efforts of WAPDA for initiating vital projects for water storage and hydropower generation in various parts of the country
He said that Pakistan is mostly relying on thermal power due to which energy cost is high in the country. He said that Pakistan should focus on hydropower and renewable energy sources to produce cheap energy that would reduce production costs and boost business activities.
Saif-ur-Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI, Malik Sohail Hussain former Senior Vice President ICCI and Chief Coordinator FPCCI UBG, and Muhammad Aslam Khokhar said that Pakistan is facing the water scarcity challenges.
However, it is encouraging that WAPDA is trying its best to build more dams in the country that would reduce water shortage and help in generating cheap hydropower that is important to reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
