DOHA: Qatar’s utility distributors said yesterday they planned to employ and train national workforce and arm them with judicial authority to enforce a law to control waste of electricity and water.
The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, popularly known as Kahramaa, said that once a trained workforce is in place, they would be required to conduct frequent raids and make sure that the precious resources are not wasted in any way.
The Corporation said discussions were on with the Ministry of Environment to develop new specifications for air-conditioners to make sure they are energy-efficient.
Similarly, discussions are also being held with the ministry to introduce light bulbs that help save energy and replace the existing bulbs and tubes with them.
Government buildings will not be spared and soon it would be announced how energy efficient they are and what steps are needed to make them so.
From now, while awarding tenders to construct buildings for schools and mosques in the country, it will be made sure the new structures are built in a away that they help save up to 37 percent electricity and 4 percent water.
The announcements were made by the chairman of Kahramaa, Essa Hilal Al Kuwari, at an event yesterday to mark the first anniversary of a utilities rationalisation campaign launched by the Corporation. The event was held at the Doha Sheraton where the chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, and Energy and Industry Minister, H E Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada were also present. The law to enforce rationalisation was passed in 2008 (law number 26 of 2008), with Al Kuwari saying it was going to be effectively implemented.
He said a survey has revealed that 70 percent of the respondents have accepted the rationalisation drive of Kahramaa.
Al Kuwari said that as part of the drive plans are afoot to reduce 20 percent of electricity and 35 percent of water consumption per capita. The energy minister said that water consumption per capita in the country was the highest in the world. “Being a major energy exporting country doesn’t mean that we should waste water. It is, therefore, our responsibility to save energy and water and look to improve our alternative energy resources,” Al Sada said.
The Peninsula
