![]() ![]() “If solarisation is being promoted without scientific support, such as hydrogeological studies of the areas, it might benefit some areas and harm others,” he said. Without this clarity, he said, it could be a “double-edged sword” by leading to over-extraction of groundwater since the government cannot monitor and enforce limits on the working of these tube wells.ĭr Hassan Abbas, a PhD from Michigan University in hydrology, agrees with this assessment. “Is it aimed at adapting agriculture to changes in the climate or is it aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate,” he asked. Zain Moulvi, a member of the Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy, said the solarisation project does not seem to be rooted in research. They cite “the lack of enforcement of regulatory measures and licencing regimes” that could easily cause such excessive water extraction. Out of these, only 300,000 run on electricity.Įxperts believe this project does not take into account the environmental cost of excessive extraction of groundwater that solarised tube wells might lead to. Federal government officials tell Dawn only shallow wells - whose depth is “less than 500 feet” - will be solarised out of 1.5 million tube wells being used for irrigation across Pakistan. “The most important part of this project is that farmers have to pay only 33 per cent of the money they require to solarise their tubewells,” he added. In the case of tube wells running on grid power, he said, the average cost could well exceed Rs4.5 million. Their continuous operation could lead to depletion of the water table, experts warn Sajid Altaf, a water management engineer working at the Federal Water Management Cell, who is also the chief architect of the project, said that the estimated cost to convert a single diesel-run tube well of 20 horsepower to solar power will be Rs2.6 million. Towards the end of his tenure, then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the scheme, but the PC-1 of the umbrella project was only approved this month.Īs its cost is shared between the provincial governments and the centre, its implementation is being spearheaded by the Federal Water Management Cell, a department of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. "We're excited to see what we can achieve together in 2021.ISLAMABAD: A mega scheme to solarise 100,000 tube wells across Pakistan, at the cost of about Rs370 billion, has drawn cautious appraisals from experts who term it a ‘double-edged sword’. Creating these important roles shows that despite difficult market conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we've adapted to this year's challenges and it's great to see how everybody at Synergy has pulled together to support each other. "Our recruitment drive, providing valuable jobs in the region, concludes another strong year for us. I'm pleased to welcome our latest additions to the business, helping us on our journey. Synergy CEO Paul Parkinson said: "Our success is underpinned by continually attracting, developing and retaining the very best people at Synergy. "It's a fast-paced industry and I'll be working collaboratively with the team to continue to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers." Synergy deservedly has a great reputation with clients and suppliers, as well as in the region as a brilliant employer. New customer service manager Wells said: "I'm really pleased to be joining Synergy as the business continues to thrive. The appointments mean Harrogate-based Synergy now has a 50-strong team, with the growth said to be driven by strong trading, with demand from both personal and business customers, and for electric vehicles. ![]()
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