Bangladesh calls for South Asia grid to share hydroelectricity

DHAKA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — Bangladeshi interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday called for creating a South Asia grid to share the hydroelectricity generated by Nepal and Bhutan.
In a meeting with the social business group on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku, the chief adviser said much of the hydroelectricity potentials of the Himalayan nations remain untapped due to a lack of electricity grids connecting Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Nepal’s officials have said the country has the potential to generate 40,000 megawatts of hydroelectricity, which can help lessen the reliance on fossil fuels in bigger countries such as India and Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh can easily bring hydroelectricity from Nepal as it is only 40 miles from Bangladesh,” Yunus was quoted as saying in a statement here.
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan should think of creating a South Asian grid, he added.
Yunus stressed that Bangladesh’s top environmental priority was effective water management to prevent flooding and maximize water use for economic growth. ■