KARACHI – FPCCI’s presidential candidate Engr. Daroo Khan Achakzai on Sunday said restoration of existing power plants can help double the power generation with insignificant investment.
The operational power plants requiring repair should be given some attention as their proper maintenance is not very costly, he said.
Daroo Khan Achakzai said that water storage capacity should also be increased and hydel projects should be initiated without any further delay.
He said that decades of delay in construction of dams has increased dependence on imported oil which wasted forex reserves, jacked up import bill and left the country vulnerable to oil price shocks.
He noted that per capita water availability has reduced by 425 percent since 1951 while our water storage capacity is 30 days while India is storing water for its ninety days need.
The leader of United Business group said that increasing population requires the government to take steps to increase water availability and storage otherwise people will have to face food security problem.
We have 197 million acre of land out of which only 52 million acre is used for agricultural production due to the scarcity of water which should be noticed, he demanded.
Mr. Achakzai said that increased agricultural and industrial production will remain a dream unless new dams are constructed on an urgent basis as the capacity of existing dams is decreasing at a rapid pace.
He lauded the commitment of the Government and Supreme Court for constructing dams and improving water management in the country.
