Peat-generated power will interfere with the ecosystem

Editor, This is in reaction to the article, “70 per cent households will have power by 2017 – EWSA”, (The New Times, March 5). I’m concerned with the Government’s plan of tapping peat resources for power.

Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) workers fix a power transmission line. The New Times / File.

Editor,This is in reaction to the article, "70 per cent households will have power by 2017 – EWSA”, (The New Times, March 5). I’m concerned with the Government’s plan of tapping peat resources for power. This will disrupt the hydrology and biodiversity of wetlands thus interfering with the ecosystem. Peat-generated power is also both inefficient and a pollutant.Those peatlands are probably more valuable to Rwanda in the long term in their intact state, than being drained and cut to fuel peat-burning power stations for a relatively limited period.David Taylor, Singapore