QUETTA: The current Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shehbaz Sharif has started a revolutionary move to change agricultural practices in Balochistan involving but not limited to use of solar power. The plan was announced publicly recently during a cabinet session in Balochistan where the plan is executed; to replace all the 28,000 tube wells in the province with solar power within the next three months at the cost of 55 billion rupees.
This is the initial step of a larger plan that is set to implement in the entire country; The Pakistani government aims to convert one million Tube Wells to Solar energy. The federal government of Pakistan has earmarked 500 billion rupees for this purpose which I believe is a clear indication of utmost focus to make agriculture sustainable and thus reduce reliance on hydrocarbon energy.
In the press released issued during the announcement, PM Shehbaz underlined that Balochistan was a crucial province for enhancing the progress and prosperity of Pakistan, and without its progress, the nation’s progress cannot be considered complete. Though initially planned for 24,000 farmers, it will directly impact 28,000 farmers while helping save billions of rupees every year on electricity spent on diesel operated tube well.
Lastly, the federal government will contribute 70 percent towards the cost of the project while the provincial government will contribute 30 percent towards the cost of the project. This factor emphasizes a collective effort towards addressing energy issues and developing the economy of Balochistan.
Alongside the solar power scheme, allocations for Balochistan’s educational sector that the PM Shehbaz highlighted include enhancing the quality education for students across the province. Cognizance of the especial circumstances of the region in question, he urged for an increased financial outlay to ensure that Balochistan was developed at par with the rest of the provinces of Pakistan.
Going forward, Pakistan has plans to enroll one thousand students from Balochistan in Chinese universities for agricultural studies to show the desire in enhancing competency in farming solutions and increased technical innovation.
In his concluding remarks, PM Shehbaz said that all of these strategic steps are pivotal to improving the national welfare and achieving sustainable development objectives. He expressed concerns at procrastination indicating that, in the future, there may emerge some financial challenges which may require external assistance.
The solar power identified in Balochistan province for generating electricity to set a precedent for the country is a valuable contribution towards providing sustainable agriculture facilities and enabling the people of Balochistan to become economically independent.
