Federal and Balochistan Governments in the province of agriculture Tube Wells signed an agreement to switch from electric power to solar panels (solarization).
During his visit to Balochistan, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told the provincial cabinet meeting in Quetta that under the agreement, more than 28 thousand Agriculture The tubewells used for the will be powered by solar panels instead of electricity.
He said that the entire process will be completed in three months at a cost of 55 billion rupees (70 percent federal and 30 percent provincial).
He added: ‘In the next phase, one million agricultural tubewells across the country will be converted to solar systems.’
Farmers have expressed happiness over this announcement by Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, but some experts have termed this project as harmful for the province’s agriculture and underground water.
According to Dr. Deen Muhammad Kakar, former head of Geology Department in Balochistan University, the process of transition of agricultural tubewells to solar energy may cause loss to the province due to its unplanned implementation.
Explaining his point, he said that following installing solar panels, if the current situation of drought persists and dams are not constructed, then following five years it will be difficult to extract water even with the help of solar panels.
He said that due to the rains, the underground level has slightly improved in some areas of Balochistan, but the situation in the plains is gradually deteriorating.
Dr. Deen Muhammad Kakar further said that before solarization of agricultural tubewells, the provincial government should have conducted a survey to estimate the damage due to continuous water extraction.
He said that if underground water is extracted for six hours in a whole day (24 hours), then at least there can be savings.
He said that this process will sink the raft of agriculture, not only agriculture will be destroyed but water will not be available for people to drink due to which a large population will have to migrate.
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Abdul Rehman Bazai, General Secretary of Landlord Action Committee welcomed the solarization of agricultural tube wells and said that 2005 applications were given in this regard which were not given any attention and a loss of 600 billion rupees was incurred in 25 years.
He claimed that 1 crore 75 lakh apple and other fruit trees were withered due to delay in solarization of agricultural tube wells.
He said that for the last 25 years Balochistan is facing drought but the federal and provincial governments have not taken adequate steps to prevent rain and flood water and make it reusable.
He said that more than one crore acre feet of water is wasted in Balochistan every year and if the government builds dams and saves the wasted water, underground recharging will take place.
Abdul Rahman Bazai said that 90 billion rupees subsidy is being given every year on the electricity of electric tube wells, but it is not benefiting farmers and agriculture.
According to him, installing solar panels will save the province 90 billion rupees.
Zemindar Habibullah Tareen said that due to lack of water storage, the underground water level is continuously decreasing, which is a matter of concern.
“We are welcoming the Prime Minister’s decision because the farmers have no other option.”
He said that even solar panels are not a permanent solution to the problem and the government should focus on building dams on an emergency basis.
He said that the officials of the Department of Agriculture should go to the field and provide information regarding better farming to the farmers.
#Balochistan #transfer #agricultural #tubewells #solar #panels
2024-07-10 16:08:12
