LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday called for generating electricity through exploiting hydel resources in order to benefit the people including the business community in the country.
LCCI in this regard would launch awareness campaign for Kalabagh Dam. In a statement issued here by the LCCI, Acting President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan observed that anti-Kalabagh dam elements were not showing the brighter side of the picture and helping the opponents through opposing this mega project that produce 3600 MW of electricity besides ensuring availability of over 6.1 million hectors feet of water.
LCCI Acting President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan claimed that even politicians of those areas were chanting slogans against Kalabagh Dam where drought is playing havoc.
He cited the example of Tharparker where people were dying just because of unavailability of water.
LCCI Acting President said that country needs low-cost power generation therefore all possible measures should be taken on war-footing.
He was of the view that power generation through thermal means would not be doing any service to the trade, industry and economy even if we start producing 50,000 MW electricity through thermal resources as it would not be affordable for the businessmen.
He said that Kalabagh dam would generate 3500 MW electricity and bring back its construction cost within a few years. He said that dams were a must to control the poverty & hunger. He that the existing dams were constantly silting up leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water therefore there is a dire need to construct more dams.
Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan said that everyone knows that the existing dams were constantly silting up leaving ever decreasing capacity to store water.
The construction of Kalabagh dam along with other new dams was desperately needed to store adequate water.
According to a conservative estimate about 35 million acre feet of water was being wasted into the sea because the country has no big water reservoirs to store it. “More importantly, as a result of melting of glaciers due to global warming, a sword of Damocles remains hanging over our heads
in the shape of floods. An opinion gained widespread support across the country that the losses of recent floods in Pakistan which are estimated to be more than US $ 45 billion could have been reduced if big dams and water reservoirs were in place”, they added.
The LCCI Acting President said that another significant aspect connected with the construction of Kalabagh Dam was the surety of sufficient amount of electricity at comparatively much cheaper price. The country’s dependence on power generated through thermal sources was costing us way too much causing to face insurmountable challenges to remain competitive both in national and international markets.
Another significant aspect connected with the construction of Kalabagh Dam is the surety of sufficient amount of greener and cheaper electricity. Electricity generation through thermal sources was estimated to cost almost Rs.16 per unit whereas the same can be produced at Rs2.5 to Rs3 through Hydel.
He said that the present scenario leads to import oil worth over US$ 12 billion a year which is costing us dearly while causing to face insurmountable challenges to remain competitive both in national and international markets.
