India proposes building SAARC power ring

India proposes building SAARC power ring
eKantipur.com, 5-Mar-07
BY GOPAL KHANAL

Participants at the SAARC Power Meet that began in New Delhi on Monday have started discussions on building a SAARC power ring to cooperate for exchange of electricity, gas and oil to address energy needs of SAARC member countries, as proposed by India.

India's central Electricity Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde made the proposal in the meet that is being organized by India's Foreign Ministry and Electricity Ministry. The minister urged representatives from SAARC member countries to engage in homework for building such a ring.

If built, the Power Ring would allow SAARC member countries to cooperate in channeling energy

to countries facing crisis while allowing countries with excess energy to sell energy.

The minister also proposed building electricity grid connections among member countries. Currently, such connections exist only between Nepal and India, and India and Bhutan.

The existing grid connection between Nepal and India, however, is inadequate for bulk exchange of power.

The meet, which is taking place before the SAARC summit, has participation of government officials, and representatives of NGOs, business houses and experts from all SAARC member countries.

India's Ministry of Electricity has stated that the meet will also focus on promoting sources of energy, expansion of gas pipelines and joint-venture development of hydropower projects.

The participants will continue discussions on Tuesday, while on Wednesday line minister of all SAARC countries will be meeting.

The SAARC Power Meet started after Indian

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh proposed, during the 13th SAARC summit in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to have a South Asian energy dialogue.

The Nepali delegation includes Joint-Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Anup Kumar Upadhyay and Under-Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dipak Dhital.