MIRPUR: In view of the increasing requirements of water and electricity in the country, Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has expedited its efforts to develop water and hydropower resources and a number of projects are being executed on priority in various parts of the country including AJK.This was stated by WAPDA Member (Power) Muhammad Qasim Khan while addressing a delegation of National Security and War College, Islamabad, headed by Major General Noel I. Khokhar, at WAPDA House on Tuesday, official sources said.The Member (Power) said, WAPDA, after its bifurcation, is more focused to exploiting the indigenous water and hydropower resources.
Referring to the achievements WAPDA made in power sector during the last 53 years, he said that Pakistan inherited only 10.6 MW of hydel generation capacity in 1947 that has risen to more than 6500 MW at present, while total installed generation capacity from all sources in the system stands at about 21000 MW.Responding to a question, he said that WAPDA has developed a concept paper of ultra mega power parks for induction of a sizeable quantum of electricity in the national grid, an official proclamation of WAPDA issued after the visit of NSWC delegation to the WAPDA house said.
Later, WAPDA General Manager (Hydro) Planning Hasnain Afzal and PEPCO General Manager (Coordination & Monitoring) Zia-ur-Rehman briefed the delegation on water and power sectors respectively.WAPDA General Manager (Hydro) Planning apprised the delegation that WAPDA is constructing three dams, two mega canals, six hydropower projects and two drainage schemes, most of them are at advanced stage of completion.The delegation was informed that WAPDA is also engaged in carrying out feasibility studies and detailed engineering designs of a number of hydropower projects with cumulative generation capacity of about 25,000 MW.
PEPCO General Manager (Coordination and Monitoring) briefed the delegation about the short, medium and long-term measures being taken to mitigate the power shortage in the country.The delegation was also told that 3394 MW generation capacity has been added to the system during the last three years, whereas 2800 MW electricity will also be inducted under short-term measures by the year 2013.Later WAPDA Member (Power) and head of the visiting delegation exchanged the souvenirs as memento to the visit. – Brecorder
