Lahore: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front Chairman Mian Nauman Kabir has asked the government to include hydropower projects in the scope of renewable energy, as the country cannot afford to rely on costly and anti-environment fossil fuels.

In a joint statement the senior vice chairman Nasir Hameed and vice chairman Javed Siddiqi also demanded the govt to prioritize the whole industry in energy supply at competitive rates on the patron of regional countries of India, China and Bangladesh, as the government has increased the average power tariff by over 40 percent during the last three years followed by the proposed hike in gas rates by withdrawing subsidy for the industry.

He requested the government to keep focus on the industry which can generate foreign exchange, contribute to local taxes and generate employment, he added.

They emphasized the importance of dam development, stating that as much as 20 million acres of barren land can be brought under plough if the water is made available by developing water storages in the country.

Nasir Hameed said that with construction of dams, the country can strengthen its agriculture to attain food security and cope with the fast growing needs of water in domestic and industrial sectors besides injecting sizeable low-cost hydroelectricity into the national grid to stabilize the national economy.