Irsa refuses to take over telemetry system from Wapda

ISLAMABAD: The Rs320 million spent on telemetry system installed at 23 sites in the Indus basin, including dams, barrages and canals some 12 years back, has gone down the drain, as the system is virtually non-operational becoming a liability for the country.

The government is still sustaining Rs22 to Rs44 million loss annually on account of salaries being paid to the staff deployed at the said sites.

The system was installed to monitor inflows and outflows at all dams and barrages through an automatic electronic system to remove misgivings between the provinces over water theft and water losses.

Now the Wapda wants the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) to take charge of the system with huge liability of annual expenses amounting to Rs44 million, but the water regulator has plainly refused to take the responsibility arguing that the system is virtually non-operational.

The water regulator says the Wapda has parked its surplus staff in the head of officials deployed at various sites for looking after the telemetry system.

“The Wapda now wants to hand the said staff over to the Irsa for the system which is non-operative and giving zero yields.

However, after being the existing system declared as redundant, the World Bank, in a latest move, has told Irsa if it wants to install a new telemetry system with latest equipment, then it is ready to provide $10 million funding primarily for conducting feasibility to determine whether or not it needs the system.

The IRSA says it is currently pondering over the offer of the World Bank, but it has not still taken a formal decision to this effect. 

However, it has got $1.5 million under which it has been mandated to ensure the standardized low measurement of water flows on 18 sides, as in last year on five sites the mission gets completed including Marala head works, Chashma barrage, Taunsa barrage, Guddu Barrage and Garangh regulator at Kirther canal which feeds Balochistan.

In addition, the water regulator has also got $1 million for getting the real water flowing data and its measurements on six reaches in the Indus River, as the water regulator always gets conflicting measurements about loss and gains of water in the said six reaches.

The six reaches include Tarbela to Kalabagh dam, Kalabagh dam to Chashma barrage, Chashma to Taunsa, Taunsa to Guddu barrage, Guddu to Sukkur barrage and Sukkur to Kotri barrage.