Author Topic: IIUI Organizes seminar on “Strategy for Hydel Power Dams”  (Read 3690 times)

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IIUI Organizes seminar on “Strategy for Hydel Power Dams”
A seminar was organized by Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) of International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) on “Strategy Proposed to Develop Consensus about Hydel Power Dams in Pakistan”. Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering Prof Dr SM Bhutta was the main speaker. Director QEC Prof Dr Mohammad Riaz introduced the learned speaker who has held top positions in Wapda, Alternate Energy Board, Flood Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission etc and has been very closely associated with the water management bodies like IRSA etc.

The theme of the talk was potential of hydroelectrical power in Pakistan,: the propaganda and the reality. He presented authenticated data to highlight the fact that Pakistan is the poorest of all the South Asian countries, when we consider the per capita energy consumption, which is an important bench mark for the socio economic development of any country. Existing and the projected power producing capacity , backed by facts and figures was presented. He discussed the concerns of three provinces on construction of Kalabagh dam, but also reminded that India and China faced similar differences and crisis of confidence by their respective people about some of the dams that the government wanted to build. They waited and worked passionately towards creating a consensus.

Ultimately they built those big dams like Sardar Sarov, after decades of persuasions and now they are reaping the fruits of energy flowing out of these dams. We don’t have gas and don’t have oil to produce energy. The only potential that we have in abundance is water for production of Hydel Power. Pakistan has been able to exploit only 12% of its hydroelectric potential while India and China have exploited 30% and the developed countries have exploited upto 70% of their potential. There has been lot of conspiracies against building of Kalabagh Dam, which include some international powers who like to see Pakistan pushed towards darkness, oil cartels who would loose their sale of oil and so on. He suggested an action plan for making this dam.

This included change of its name from Kalabagh dam to Pakistan Dam or any other name acceptable to all provinces, Net hydel profits should be distributed through a central pool rather than giving them to just one province. He quoted figures from UN and other international bodies surveys to alleviate fears about submerging of Nowshera and against the possibility of water logging of Mardan because of the higher levels. He said dams don’t drink water they just store it. We can produce electricity and then the whole of 21 M AF stored water will be available to the country for use. He made a passionate appeal to the audience to use data and logic to convince other country men to build consensus culminating in the construction of the Dam otherwise our future generation will never forgive us, because India is gradually building dams on the upstream to harness water from the catchments areas of our rivers.

Prof. Dr. Eng. S.M. Bhutta of the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Riaz, Director QEC, IIUI addressing a seminar on "Strategy of Hydel Power Dams" at the Islamic University