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Advisor to the Prime Minister for the affairs of Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Qamar Zaman Kaira inaugurated the Gulpur hydroelectric project on Wednesday, capable of generating an average annual energy of 102 megawatts (MW).
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the adviser noted that the critical milestone was the announcement of the country’s first-ever energy policy which opened the doors to huge private investment in the sector. He said Pakistan offers immense opportunities for investment in infrastructure development, including the power sector. “When I see this beautiful hydroelectric project, it reminds me of the remarkable initiative taken by the very first female Prime Minister of any Muslim country Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in the form of independent power plants to meet the growing energy needs of this time. “, did he declare. added. “Hydropower is a lifeline for Pakistan as it not only provides cheap and clean energy but also contributes immensely to the growth of the economy through creation of job opportunities and utilization local materials,” he said. He expressed his gratitude to Koria Southeastern Electric Company (KOEN) achieve such a great project for the people of Kashmir and hoped that he would continue to invest in Pakistan. Gulpur Hydropower Project, The Minister said that Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and GB have huge potential in mining tourism and hydel energy, adding that his ministry will go the extra mile and extend all support and possible cooperation to reduce difficulties for all investors. Commenting on the growing number of catastrophic climate-related events across the world, he said Pakistan, despite its lower contribution to global emissions, was paying a heavy price for the mistakes made by other countries. Kaira highlighted how Pakistan has been disproportionately affected by global warming, giving the example of recent devastating floods which affected an estimated 33 million people, damaging crops and collapsing entire infrastructure, in particularly in Sindh and Balochistan. He said developed countries had done the most to cause climate change and should do more to help underdeveloped countries, which were the hardest hit. “We contributed 0.8% of the carbon footprint, but we are now one of the ten most climate-stressed countries on earth,” he added. He cited the call of the UN Secretary General, Ant Nio Guterres, to urge developed countries to come forward and help Pakistan in this disaster.
He said the coalition government was doing all it could to help those affected by the floods. Chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Tauseef H. Farooqi, noted that the project was launched with an “electricity with prosperity” initiative to generate cheap electricity with the creation thousands of jobs for the local community. The hydroelectric projects at AJK had the potential to change the fate of the local community, he added. The regulator, he said, has been putting all its efforts on green energy, including hydro, solar and wind, to reduce greenhouse gases. Mirapower CEO Han Seungnam made a detailed presentation of the project. Gulpur Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydroelectric generation project located on the Poonch River, a major tributary of the Jhelum River near Gulpur in the Kotli Azad district of Jammu and Kashmir. Gulpur Hydropower Project, The project launched in 2015 was the first in the country’s history that develops on a declared national park having endangered and critically endangered species. The lenders approved financing for the project after agreeing to Mira Power’s strategy to ensure a net gain in the population of endangered and critically endangered species, including Mahaseer Fish. To achieve the net gain, Mira Power (a subsidiary of KOEN) designed and successfully implemented a comprehensive biodiversity action plan to the satisfaction of lenders and the Government of India’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. AJK Over 50% of jobs at the site are filled with the local community.
Source: This news was originally published by urdupoint
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