Pakistan is currently facing a considerable shortage of electricity that is causing huge losses to our industry. The government is trying to establish new powerhouses but no short-term solution to the problem is in sight. Electricity generated via wind-driven turbines (the so-called windmills) can produce electricity at the cheapest rate since wind is an unlimited source available at all times whereas the dams need water and can have a shortage due if there are no rains. These windmills can be established at any place, be it land or mountains. That is easier compared to building huge and costly dams that require vast tracts of flat land. These windmills should ideally be placed near the seacoasts where there is high wind pressure at all times. Pakistan, quite fortunately, has a large coastal belt that can serve this purpose. Moreover, building large dams may take eight to ten years while the wind mills can be established in a much shorter time. These wind machines can easily be installed near any city depending on the magnitude of its need of electricity. The wind energy is the most economical power source for countries like Pakistan. Besides, it will produce plentiful jobs for technical and non-technical labour. Our neighbour India is number four in the world in producing electricity through windmills after America, Germany and Spain. India is producing nearly eight thousand mega watts of electricity and also producing windmill machinery, which it exports in considerable numbers. -MUBASHER JAMIL, Rawalpindi, via e-mail, May 17.