LAHORE, Oct 16: Wapda chairman Tariq Hameed has said the issue of water scarcity can be resolved through developing mega water resources.

He told a visiting delegation of the officers from the Command and Staff College, Quetta, at the Wapda House on Saturday that efforts were underway to ensure smooth electricity supply to consumers and reduce line losses.

A programme for augmentation of distribution and transmission system was being implemented at a cost of Rs3.5 billion, the chairman said and added that a pilot project was being launched to reduce line losses and minimize reading manipulation.

Mr Hameed said during the last fiscal year 7,193 far-flung and underdeveloped villages were energized to bring them at par with the developed ones. Likewise, 7,511 agriculture tubewell connections were provided showing a growth rate of 40 per cent as against the year 2002-03.

In addition, 678,844 domestic, 72,881 commercial, 6,002 industrial and 280 other new connections were given.

The chairman told the visiting delegation that in all the number of new power connections connected to the Wapda system came out to be 765,018 during the year 2003-04 against a target of 595,980 connections.

Mr Hameed said an increase in power generation, revenue collection, new connections especially in rural areas as well as reduction in line losses had been possible because of the commitment of Wapda's skilled work force.

Wapda, he said, collected Rs232 billion against the target of Rs220 billion during the last fiscal year.

Later, the Wapda chairman and the head of the delegation exchanged shields as memento of the visit.