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NATIONAL SCENE: Solar-powered houses in quake-hit areas
The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has built 500 houses in the earthquake-hit areas that are powered by solar cells, as per the instructions of the president and the premier. Another 2,000 such houses will be constructed soon.
The houses are earthquake resistant and consist of two bedrooms, kitchen and shower. These will be cool in summers and warm in winters. The houses are being sponsored by multinational and national companies and local and foreign donors, besides philanthropists.
The chairman of AEDB, Air Marshal (r) Shahid Hamid, revealed this in a statement issued last week. He added that the houses had a guaranteed life of 20 years and, after minor repairs, could be used for many more years.
He said the AEDB could build 50 such houses every week. The houses, made up of metal sheets and thermally insulated, would be electrified by solar energy and would have solar geysers for hot water and solar cookers to prepare meals. He said that in the second phase of the AEDB project, solar plants for the purification of drinking water would be installed.
He added that, according to some survey reports by experts, large reservoirs of underground heat existed in the quack-affected areas. These heat sources could also be utilized for welfare of the people.
Seismology moot
A two-day international conference on seismology, organized by the NWFP University of Engineering and Technology (UET) in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), was kicked off on Friday.
At the conference, held at the HEC headquarters, scientists made presentations on issues in seismology and building structures. The first of its kind, the conference provided valuable inputs to the authorities and private entrepreneurs on constructing quake-resistant infrastructure.
Internet breakdown
Internet services were disrupted for a couple of hours, mainly in Lahore and Islamabad, last week. Some internet service providers belonging to Lahore claimed that the breakdown lasted more that two hours.
“We have contacted PTCL, but no one gave any satisfactory response,” said an ISP operator in Lahore. He said the operators were unable to reply to hundreds of customers who were calling with complaints about the disruption.
The country’s internet and other telecom links with the rest of the world were severed in June for 12 days due to a fault in the submarine cable.
Award for govt dept
The Punjab labour department’s Centre for Improvement of Working Conditions and Environment (CIWCE) was awarded the Knight Ridder Equality Award and a purse of $50,000 at the International Tech Museum Awards 2005 held in San Jose, California, recently. The award was received by the Punjab labour secretary, Maj (R) Shahnawaz Badar, and director of CIWCE, Saeed Awan.
The CIWCE was nominated for designing a carpet-weaving loom, which significantly reduced health and safety hazards for carpet weavers and enhanced their productivity, besides helping curtail child labour. This is the first time that Pakistanis have won the prestigious award.
Local CNG kits
The government would allow the local industry to manufacture compressed natural gas (CNG) kits, which is expected to bring their prices down by as much as 50 per cent, the chairman of the CNG station owners’ association said.
Malik Khuda Bakhsh said some kit samples had already been sent to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in this regard. After obtaining approval from OGRA, local companies would start producing CNG kits, he added.
TDM centre
Pakistan’s first Tools, Dies and Moulds (TDM) Centre will become operational in Karachi on Aug 14, opening new vistas of development for the engineering sector. This was revealed at a meeting held in Islamabad recently, which was presided over by the federal minister for industries, production and special initiatives, Jahangir Khan Tareen.
On the occasion, the minister expressed the hope that the facility being set up at a cost of Rs450 million would not only help in substituting import of dies and moulds with local produce but would also facilitate the export of engineering goods.
He said TDM centres would also be established in industrial cities like Gujranwala. Mr Tareen expressed satisfaction over the performance of the new body called Tusdec, especially with reference to the projects being executed for the improvement of facilities. — Agencies
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