Municipalities urged to use tech to identify gaps within systems

PESHAWAR: The Center for Intelligent Systems and Networks Research (CISNR), University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar arranged a one-day workshop to engage targeted municipalities in Abbottabad and Mansehra of KP.

These municipalities had witnessed successful implementation of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system under CISNR guidance.The event was funded by REE-SCALE, GIZ - Pakistan, said a press release.

During the event, Prof. Dr. Gul Muhammad Khan, project director, unveiled the transformative potential of IoT or Internet of Things, technology and its diverse advantages for municipalities throughout Pakistan.

He emphasised on its capacity to amass data that can revolutionize decision-making processes and facilitate efficient planning and implementation of innovative technologies, thereby saving time, energy, and valuable municipal resources.

Rehan Yousaf, the chief guest and CEO of the Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) in Abbottabad, praised the GIZ, CISNR, and the municipalities for their cooperation in the project.

He highlighted the potential of the SCADA system in empowering municipalities.The official hoped the technology would enable municipalities to identify and address existing gaps within their systems, ultimately leading to more efficient monitoring and attainment of rapid, effective results.

Asher from REEE -SCALE GIZ said that GIZ has been providing training programs on digitization and SCADA systems for the past 2-3 years, with plans to expand these initiatives for Pakistan’s municipalities in the future.

He encouraged the targeted municipalities to collaborate with GIZ by sharing their success stories and documented achievements.During an interactive session, the participants stressed the importance of the government in educating municipalities about new technologies and granting them more independence to drive innovation within their respective municipalities.