By Ayesha Saba ISLAMABAD, March 22 (INP-WealthPK): The construction of five major dam-cum-hydropower projects and two mega reservoirs – Mohmand and Diamer-Bhasha – will go a long way in meeting the country's increasing water and electricity needs. According to WealthPK, work is in progress on big hydropower projects, including Keyal Khwar, Dasu, Kurram Tangi, Warsak and Mangla Dam’s rehabilitation. The 2.2-gigawatt Dasu hydropower project, on completion, will usher in a new era of socioeconomic development in remote areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Besides, there are a number of projects either in the planning stage or under-construction. They will also help increase the country’s water storage capacity and generate electricity on completion. A Wapda spokesman told WealthPK that hydropower was the most sustainable, reliable, renewable, clean and low-cost source of energy to meet projected future energy demands of the country. “The government remains focused on harnessing water and hydropower potential to ensure water security by enhancing the water storage capacity and achieving self-sufficiency in the energy sector, thus putting the country on a consistent path of progress and prosperity.” “We can strengthen our agriculture to achieve food security and cope with the rapidly growing needs for water in the domestic and industrial sectors by constructing water sector projects, as well as injecting large amounts of hydel electricity into the national grid to stabilise the national economy,” the Wapda spokesman explained to WealthPK. He said that timely decisions and the availability of funding were essential for completing short, medium and long-term projects on schedule. “With the completion of various projects, Wapda plans to add eight million-acre-fee (MAF) to the total water storage capacity and 5,653MW of electricity to the national grid by 2030 in the medium-term, and another 28 MAF and 6,245MW power by 2050 in the long-term,” he explained. The population of Pakistan is increasing at a rate of 2.8% and is projected to reach 250 million people by 2025. The percentage of the urban population will increase from its current 35% to 52% by 2025. As a result, water demand for domestic, industrial and non-agricultural uses will increase by 8% and is expected to reach 10% of the total available water resources by the year 2025. It is, therefore, imperative to make all-out efforts to unleash the untapped hydropower potential of the country.