Citing the importance of cheap power generation for a county’s economic and social growth, developed and developing countries around the world give special impetus to hydel power generation. With soaring prices of petroleum products, reliance on oil for power generation is being lessened around the globe, pushing countries to build more water reservoirs not only to fulfil growing energy needs but to enhance agricultural yields. Like other SAARC countries, Pakistan is also confronted with the grave challenge of an energy crisis due to high population growth, power pilferage and non-construction of dams. Despite 60,000MW hydel power potential, including 30,000MWámere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the energy crisis has further deepened in recent years due to increase in petroleum prices, high reliance on fuel to run powerhouses, taxation, culture and non-construction of new dams. Prof Dr Muhammad Naeem, Economics Department of the Swabi University said hydel energy was cost-efficient for developing countries like Pakistan and underscored the need for the construction of water reservoirs and small dams for sustainable economic growth and floods mitigation in the wake of climate change challenges. Dr Naeem said China had constructed about 98,000 dams and India 5,334 dams, while Pakistan had built only 150 dams since its independence and no big dam after Tarbela. The rivers in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab are most suitable for construction of dams, especially small ones, he added. When contacted, Engr Zahoor Hussain, Director Projects, Wapda (North) said 72 percent work on multipurpose Kurram Tangi (Stage-1) Bannu and North Waziristan had been completed and expected to be inaugurated in November next year. He said the design and feasibility study of its stage-II was under process which would be completed with a loan assistance of Asian Development Bank. Engr Zahoor said the dam would store around 1.2 million acre feet water besides generating 80.9MW electricity, adding over three million people of southern districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa would be directly benefited from the dam. Besides completion of 108MW Golen Gol dam in Chitral, the government had accelerated work on Mohmand dam of 800MW with 1.293áMAF water storage capacity that after completion would supplement/irrigate 160,000 acres of existing land and about 18,237 acres of new land with annual benefits of Rs2.23 billion, he mentioned. Likewise,á300 million gallons water per day would also be provided to Peshawar for drinking purpose with benefits of Rs.957 million from Mohmand dam, which would also help saving Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera from floods. Meanwhile, construction work on a high voltage direct current (HVDC) convertor station was in progress at Azakhel Bala Nowshera district under the CASA-1000 Project for transmission of 1300 MW inexpensive, clean, and environment-friendly electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan via Afghanistan to Pakistan. TheáCASA-1000 Project carried a great example of mutual cooperation between the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan aimed at harnessing clean energy trade and building a shared regional electricity market, fighting climate change, and increasing standard of living for their populations. According to KP Energy Department,36.6MW Daral Khwar HPP Madain Swat was completed and electricity generation with over Rs1.3 billion annual benefit started. Likewise, 300MW Balakot HPP worth Rs 85 billion approved by ECNEC would be constructed on River Kunhar in Mansehra. Similarly, 496MW Spat-Gah HPP amounting US$ 1,015 million is being developed for which MoU between KP government having 26pc share and M/S Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) with 74pc share was signed. XEN Engr Ziaullah Khan of PESCO Power Distribution Company told APP that KP was currently receiving about 1873MW electricity from the national grid while its demand wasáaboutá3220 MW, facing a shortfall of 1347 that was being fulfilled through load management. Under aggregate technical and commercial losses (ATCL)formula, the official said the areas with high ATCL losses such as Bannu, areas of Peshawar including Warak Road, Chagarmathi and Regi and DI Khan district were facing brunt of load shedding (16 hours), while there was no load shedding Hayatabad and Gulbahar due to high recovery rate and lack of power pilferage.