LAHORE, March 27: Wapda authorities have withdrawn a project from the PCSIR Laboratories for the protection of its installations from corrosion.

Vital grid station installations throughout the country are reportedly being corroded by sulphide fumes.

As a result, copper based isolator arms of the grid stations located on Samundari Road and Narwala Road in Faisalabad and on the double circuit line over the Wasa disposal ponds have developed pits.

The problem has also been reported from the Gulshan-i-Ravi, Lahore, grid station.

The poles carrying high tension wires connecting the national grid are also reported to be suffering from corrosion attacks.

Experts believe that if timely remedial measures are not taken irreparable loss will be caused to these installations and billions of rupees would be needed to replace the installations.

A team of scientists from the PCSIR Laboratories, Lahore, had visited the sites at the request of Wapda authorities. It submitted a proposal for a detailed study. The authorities have, however, taken no further steps to tackle this menace. Instead, the equipment handed over to the PCSIR team for examination and testing has been withdrawn.

PCSIR officials said a survey of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, USA, had found that the damage caused by corrosion amounted annually to four per cent of the United States’ GDP. It is estimated that the ratio in Pakistan is around eight per cent.