April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 16: The city fathers are looking into a number of options to produce electricity locally to keep the capital free of power cuts, it has been learnt.

Like other cities of the country, Islamabad is also facing hours long power outages as its electricity demand has increased to 350 megawatts (MW) against the present supply of 288MW by the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco).

Sources in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said the city required more power in the wake of rapid urbanisation and development of new residential and commercial areas.

Presently, four to five multi-storeyed hotels and a number of residential buildings are being constructed in Islamabad, posing a challenge to Iesco as to how it will meet the future requirements.

The CDA and Iesco are responsible for providing power to the upcoming hotels as it was promised when the authority auctioned the sites, some of which fetched highest ever bids for any single plot in the country.

“CDA is seriously considering generating power for Islamabad on self-finance basis and the proposal is being discussed at higher level along with the preparation of the feasibility report,” the authority’s chairman Kamran Lashari said.

Our options include installation of turbines on Margalla Hills, use of garbage, solar energy, and setting up a power generation unit at Ghazi Barotha Project to be launched to draw water from Indus River, Mr Lashari said.

The CDA chief acknowledged that the demand for electricity would multiply in the coming years as development work on some residential sectors was underway, while the launch of another 10 sectors was also in the pipeline.

“CDA, being rich in resources, is planning to generate electricity on its own to save the citizens from the dilemma of power outages,” he said.

Mr Lashari said the CDA also discussed the matter in a meeting at the Cabinet Division that was also attended by the high-ups of Iesco, Enercon, Public Works Department, and Press Information Department.