It has been estimated that Kalabagh Dam with a potential of 6.1 MAF water storage and power generation of 3600 MW could earn ten billion U.S. $ as one MAF of water equates 1.5 billion U.S. $ as per conservative engineering estimates. Just compare this with 6 billion U.S. $ loan of IMF in five years which we have to pay back by hook or crook. We always have to get more loans to pay back the installments of the present loan, thereby imprisoning ourselves in a vicious cycle of ever increasing debt. The wizards of Govt. have failed to capitalise on our indigenous hydel resources and are banking on imported coal fired plants to generate power with the ensuing disaster of environment by toxic gases. A recent issue of The Economist has published a 14 page report on China, where due to excessive use of coal all the major cities of China are clouded by toxic gases making it difficult to breathe without masks by citizens.
Coal was a popular fuel 40 years ago but everyone knows that it is the dirtiest fuel for energy generation and poor countries like Pakistan are destined to use coal for energy production at a cost of 5 to 6 times that of hydel energy.
Dr M Yaqoob Bhatti,
Lahore, April 26.