DUSHANBE, July 28, Asia-Plus — There ought to bring development of coal industry in Tajikistan to a new level, Georgy Petrov, the head of the hydropower laboratory at the Institute for Water Problems, Hydropower and Ecology, told a news conference in the republican Press Center in Dushanbe on July 27.
According to him, Tajikistan’s economy has not yet entered that level, necessary for participating in various programs for protection of the environmental against emission of waste products. “Moreover, the emission rate in Tajikistan is not so high,” Petrov said.
Alikhon Latifi, the director of the Tajik branch of the Central Asian Ecology Center, noted that Tajikistan’s joining international conventions requires observance of certain norms.
Local experts noted that improper participation in international ecological programs and shortage of funds impede efficient development of industry in Tajikistan.
Petrov noted that Tajikistan has industrial coal reserves of some 700 million tons, while its possible coal reserves are estimated at 4 billion tons.
“The national electricity generation programs designed for the period till 2015 may be fulfilled if even one generator of Sangtuda-1 power plant will be put into operation by the end of this year,” said Petrov, “While construction of the whole cascade on the rivers of Vakhsh and Zarafshon and implementation of a long-term program for construction of small power plants will allow even over-fulfilling the programs.”
“The absolutely different situation is in the coal industry,” he said. “We have fulfilled less than seven percent of the program for development of the coal industry by 2004, which was adopted in 1997. After that it has been reviewed in a concept of development of Tajikistan’s fuel-energy complex projected for 2003-2015.” According to him, the concept has also not been implemented because of lack of funds.
