Gilgit: Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Amjad Hussain said that the region has the potential to generate around 50,000 megawatts of hydropower and called for focused efforts to exploit its vast water resources for producing cheap and clean electricity.
He was speaking at a briefing given by NESPAK on various development projects in Gilgit-Baltistan during the visit of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat to the region.
The Chief Minister said Diamer-Bhasha Dam was a landmark project for the development and prosperity of the country, adding that the provincial government desired its timely completion and would extend all possible cooperation in this regard.
He said that besides Diamer-Bhasha Dam, the Bunji hydropower project had the potential to generate around 7,000 MW of electricity, while feasibility studies for projects with a combined potential of around 50,000 MW were also available in Gilgit-Baltistan.
‘If attention is focused on hydropower, the country can overcome its energy crisis and open new avenues of economic prosperity,’ he said, adding that the provincial government was ready to extend all possible support for the construction of hydropower projects.
The Chief Minister said work was also under way to make Chilas Airport operational, adding that the government’s priority was to fully operationalize the airport within the next six months.
He said Gilgit-Baltistan enjoyed a unique geographical, strategic and tourism significance and that it was the responsibility of the government to provide modern road infrastructure and electricity to the people as well as domestic and international tourists.
Unfortunately, he said, important projects such as the 20 MW Hanzel Hydropower Project and 16 MW Naltar Hydropower Project could not be completed within the stipulated time, depriving the people of electricity facilities.
The Chief Minister directed senior NESPAK officials to give special attention to the 54 MW Attabad Hydropower Project so that work on the important project could be initiated at the earliest.
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan, speaking on the occasion said instead of undertaking new experiments, focus should be placed on completing the hydropower projects already identified in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He said the committee would recommend to the federal government to accord special priority to hydropower projects in Gilgit-Baltistan so that cheap electricity could be generated instead of relying on IPPs.
He added that after meeting the country’s domestic energy requirements, surplus electricity could also be exported to other countries to earn valuable foreign exchange.
Members of the Senate Standing Committee, including Senator Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, were also present, while Senators Aamir Wali-ud-Din and Abdul Qadir participated in the meeting through video link.
