The government has put together feasibility reports to look into the development of hydro power plants on five suitable points of the Indus River, of which the Sukkur Barrage is recognised as having the most potential, Sindh Electric Power Minister Shazia Marri said on Monday. She was speaking to the media after meeting a five-member delegation of the China International Water and Electric Corporation led by its Vice President Wang Yu. They discussed hydro, thermal, wind and solar power generation through the corporation’s expertise and technical support. Marri said that developing the energy sector is necessary to meet the growing needs of the country, and that the provincial government counts the energy sector among its top priorities.
She also said that the problem of prolonged electricity breakdowns is mostly because of the disputes between the Karachi Electric Supply Company’s management and its union, adding that the KESC must take responsibility for redressing the issues of its workers. Earlier during the meeting, Yu offered the Sindh government financial and technical assistance for establishing a hydro power plant at the Sukkur Barrage. He said that the province has great potential for power generation through hydro, coal, wind and solar power plants. He also said that the corporation is ready to provide all possible technical assistance for enhancing the capacity of the currently running power plants. He further said that the corporation is ready to initiate work on projects of hydro, coal, wind and solar energy power generation sectors immediately.
