We are in desperate need of a visible change in our policies that reflect of social changes rather than elitist ones.
RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN: This is apropos an article titled, The impending gas crunch, by Farooq Tirmizi (September 19).
In my opinion, the only solution to the gas crunch is for our industries to switch to hydropower. The colony in Mangla was built during the construction of the Mangla Dam and is now housing military units and also has living accommodations. It has had electric gadgets such as cooking range, geyser and air conditioners for years. The electricity tariff was cheaper in 1975 to 1978 when we lived there.
No ruler after General Ayub Khan constructed any big dams, except the three built by him. No one has taken the initiative to build new dams for hydroelectricity that will help our economy, which faces shortage of electricity. There is corruption in the rental power plants of Nandipur and the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project and they have remained uninvestigated due to the so-called ‘charter of democracy’ and the ‘reconciliation policy’.
We are in desperate need of a visible change in our policies that are reflective of social changes rather than elitist ones.
Major Talaat Khurshid (Retd)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2014.
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