12 Hill Torrents Of D G Khan Has Potential To Generate 12k MW Electricity: Zartaj Gul

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said the ministry was working to materialize huge energy potential of 12 hill torrents existing in Dera Ghazi Khan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Oct, 2019 ):Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said the ministry was working to materialize huge energy potential of 12 hill torrents existing in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Addressing Air University seminar on climate change and Pakistan thinking green for sustainable development under its Air Technology Olympiad 2019, she said an agriculture varsity of Multan had conducted research on the hill torrents potential to generate 12,000 megawatt electricity.

She said that the research had been submitted in the planning and development division where the ministry had scaled-up efforts to bring the project on ground.

Zartaj said that three small dams would be built on the hill torrents of D G Khan. The minister was of the view that climate change had adverse impacts on the South Punjab region of the country. It could be observed through the flash floods due abrupt rainfalls, decrease in cotton yield and extreme drought like situation in other parts of the country, she added.

"The working women picking cotton in the fields are directly affected due to such environmental degradation. We have no control on climate change, but can mitigate human interventions involved in exacerbating the situation," she said.

The minister opined that urban flooding in Karachi and poor solid waste management was due to our negligence and misconduct. Therefore, it was a collective responsibility of all members of the society to address the issue in unison, she added.

Zartaj told the participants that due to 16-year old young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg climate action march was brought in all major cities across the world including Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, she said has launched Clean Green Pakistan movement which is a behavioural change movement to engage civil society for making the country environment-friendly and climate change resilient. "Rs 2 billion have been allocated for the Clean Green movement in the current budget," she added.

Vice Chancellor, Air University, Air Vice Marshal (R) Faaiz Amir said the seminar was part of the country's largest Air Technological Olympiad 2019. He said the faculty and students of the varsity were fully aware of climate change impacts and its risks posed to the region.

The vice chancellor said that Pakistan was contributing 0.8 percent to the global green house gas (GHG) emissions whereas the giant economies like China was emitting 27 percent, US 14 percent and India 10.6 percent. The onus or burden to mitigate lies on the developed world and large contributors where Pakistan could only manage and control its emissions.

He added that the developing countries should form an alliance and force the developed countries to help them in overcoming climate change impacts despite being small contributors to the global environmental degradation.

The government, he said should focus energy mix transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy solutions. "It should also need to work on population growth and energy generation. Moreover, awareness regarding climate change and action at grassroots level should also be made," he added.

A panel discussion comprising senior environmentalists, academicians and scientists elaborated the challenges faced by the country due to climate change and way out for shifting from environmentally hostile economy to green economy.