News
Friday, September 17, 2010
Small dams should be built until consensus on large ones: Zardari
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the authorities concerned to consider localising power generation and distribution, while facilitating the private sector to set up small hydel power plants across the country to meet growing energy demand. The president was briefed on small hydel power projects at the Presidency on Thursday. His spokesman Farhatullah Babar told media that the president was of the view that construction of large dams without a broad consensus could be detrimental to national integrity and he favoured building non-controversial small dams throughout the country. The president called for early completion of under construction small hydel projects to fully exploit country’s hydropower potential. This, he said, would not only help meet the country’s energy needs but would also reduce dependence on other sources, such as thermal power, thus saving precious foreign exchange. Babar said the president believed that while efforts to develop consensus on large dams should continue, until that is achieved, focus should be on building a series of non-controversial small dams throughout the country. The president said that there were a large number of suitable sites spread across all provinces where small and medium-sized dams could be built. staff report
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk