Unitech students urged to assist in power projects

By JIMMY KALEBE
National Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru has called on the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae to assist in the development of mini-hydro power stations around the country.
Maru presented a cheque for K200,000 to Unitech’s surveying and lands studies department to fund four Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers.
He understood that with the aid of remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS), tools like GNSS receivers could identify water resources to  enhance the potential of mini-hydros in rural Papua New Guinea.
“This will then support rural and remote communities to have power to improve life and set the foundation for small and medium enterprise businesses to rural communities,” he said.
Maru said Unitech was a development partner to assist in the government policies and as such, it was time to promote and support the country in the development of specialists in mini-hydro development.
Meanwhile, a specialist mini-hydro trainer with the Unitech will be accompanying a Department of Planning and Monitoring team next month to Nepal to learn from their experiences of building mini-hydro systems in rural communities.
Research engineer with the surveying and lands studies department of Unitech Nosare Maika said with the availability of the GNSS, it would give accurate data needed to design mini-hydro systems. Unitech Vice-Chancellor Dr Ora Renagi said they would use available resources to advance researches that were relevant to the needs of the government.