| 02 March 2004 | Tuesday | 10 Muharram 1425 |
Tree plantation campaigns
Bush's election tactics
Production of prisoners in court
Fresh hearing of cases
Why buy costly wheat?
An opportunity for Pakistan
PCB's good move
New buildings and roads
Karachi police
Kashmir dispute
PTCL's reply
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The Dawn Economic & Business Review and the Magazine section have recently carried quite a few articles on proposed installation of desalination plants in Karachi. Since this technology has not yet found commercial acceptance in Pakistan, it is important for pioneering organizations to study the available technologies and costs before approving projects.
We should certainly not follow the very damaging policies of convenience witnessed after the issuance of the 1994 Energy Policy, as a result of which we have numerous inefficient power plants adversely affecting the country's economy.
Desalination plants are primarily expensive, both to own and operate, even when they are integrated with power production in the cogeneration mode. These are only installed where the fresh water source(s) cannot meet the essential water demands.
However, there are ways to reduce costs. Even in the Middle East where energy was considered "free", changes are visible. For us, it is imperative that desalination is made economical by utilizing efficient processes and thus ensuring lowest energy and product water costs.
Inefficient desalination plants in Karachi will prove very expensive to the economy, much in the same way as inefficient power plants have caused serious problems in the power sector.
Most old desalination plants in the Middle East are very inefficient, producing very expensive potable water. They are primarily based on old technology, being integrated with low-efficiency conventional steam power plants.
These plants only produce one million gallons per day with each 30-35MW power generation. Efficient combined cycle power stations, when coupled with dual desal systems (MSF & RO), produce much more desalted water and with greater economy.
It is, thus, possible to economically produce up to one million gallons of potable water daily for every 10MW power generation. In our present scenario, this approach should be followed for the introduction of correct technology.
Unfortunately, our desalination "policy" seems to be going wrong even before it has started. It is reported that the DHA Desal Plant has been approved with 94 MW power generation and three MGD potable water (Article "Desalination plants must for Karachi", EBR February 1). This combination has been proposed perhaps because it is more profitable to produce and sell power to the KESC than produce potable water for the DHA.
If the reported approval of this combination is true, then it is unfortunate. To allow a large power plant (94MW instead of the originally announced 35MW) within a stone's throw of residential areas is really not recommended due to increased pollution levels, specially because the DHA has no advantage in this combination. They are getting the same potable water quantity at a much higher level of pollution.
How do we control the introduction of new technology, without falling head-first in a pit? We seem to have no organization responsible for use of only efficient technology. Do we need a division of industrial efficiency in the ministry of science & technology?
In many countries, such projects in the public domain would be first presented for discussions by all interested parties, specially relating to environmental pollution and costs.
Even in Pakistan, many responsible organizations have presented their projects to the public as part of environmental impact assessment. Do we have such an analysis for a large power plant operating within the Defence Housing Authority, including its effects on marine environment?
We should prepare ourselves well before introducing essential projects. We must analyse the available technologies and only accept projects with efficient options. Seawater desalination projects should be no different.
AAZA
Karachi
Tree plantation campaigns
Trees work as genuine multi taskers. Their social, ecological and economic benefits are substantial. They help clean the air we breathe in and the water we drink. By absorbing and filtering out nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter less than 10 microns in size in their leaves, urban trees perform a vital air cleaning service that directly affects the well-being of urban dwellers.
Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air using their leaves as filters and store carbon in their bio mass. Approximately half of a tree's dry weight, in fact, is carbon.
For this reason, large-scale tree planting projects are recognized as a legitimate tool in many national carbon-reduction programmes. They also decrease total storm water volume and slows peak flow; both help cities to manage their storm water and decrease detention costs.
The value of storm water control is equated to the cost of building retention structures that provide equivalent services. Trees filter surface water and prevent erosion, both of which maintain or improve water quality. Lack of tree cover contributes to the silting of streams, flooding and a shortage of timber and firewood.
Forests in Pakistan cover about three million hectares, less than four per cent of the country. Most of the native forest is destroyed because of factors such as the population explosion, over cultivation and overgrazing. Soaring temperatures with shifts in the ecosystem, extended dry spells, dangerous droughts and floods, falling water levels in the rivers and soil erosions tax the already weak economy of our nation.
It is heart-warming to see that the president himself is taking special interest in making Pakistan a greener country. It is but a tedious task which encompasses mass action and education at the basic level. Tree plantation drives alone are not enough to ensure sustained growth of forests. Utopia will be reached only if the newly-planted saplings are nurtured and protected against human neglect, exploitation and ignorance.
S. MUBASHIR A. SHAH
Plainville, CT., USA
Bush's election tactics
Reports of Osama bin Laden's capture have once again started surfacing in the world media. Strangely, these things always happen when US President George W. Bush's popularity graph starts going down. Pretty soon Osama will be brought out from a place already known for the CIA to score some political mileage.
American people who are ignorant when it comes to international politics will again be made fool. The neo-conservative (a decent term for hardliners) party in the US and the Israeli and Indian lobbies there are trying to achieve their interests by putting the world peace at stake. These countries have formed an axis of evil and are illegally occupying foreign lands.
The recent statements from the US suggests that if the Bush team gets re-elected, then similar unjustified wars will be imposed on poor and weak nations under one pretext or the other
Again, a score of experts will be brought on TV who will make the American public believe that intelligence reports against this and that country are correct and the country is a danger to the US.
This time people from across the world should try to educate the American public about the nefarious designs of the Bush administration. They should arrange some time on the American media (which is again playing in the hands of those lobbies who are a threat to world peace) to let the people of America know the facts.
SHAH AFFAN
Toronto, Canada
Production of prisoners in court
This is with reference to the letter "Production of prisoners in court" (February 27) by Mr Anil Khan Luni.
I would like to add that the Constitution of Pakistan,under Article 10 of the Fundamental Rights, guarantees every person protection against arrest and detention and his right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice. Article 37 (d) provides: "The State shall ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice."
Problems such as judicial delays due to the absence of witnesses in courts and absence of either party's counsel, presiding officers and the accused have also emerged in a large number of cases in litigation. Adding insult to injury is the inefficient working of the law-enforcement agencies in such cases.
Perhaps, it has now become imperative in view of the facts and circumstances prevalent in our society that access to justice should be provided and made available to everyone in a timely and efficient manner. Notwithstanding impediments in the dispensation of justice, those showing neglect should be taken to account.
The government is requested to facilitate a smooth functioning of the judiciary, besides introducing a coherent system in the lower judiciary where all appointments are made on merit and the officials given judicial training. The load of cases on judges should substantially be reduced.
The government should also ensure that the pending cases are decided in a timely manner and access to justice is made easy for all.
MUNAWER AWAN
Karachi
Fresh hearing of cases
A report, published in Dawn on February 16, has revealed an interesting fact that the "Supreme Court has decided to place over a dozen cases for hearing afresh". This is because a former chief justice, heading a bench, had reserved judgments but retired before announcing them, "causing great difficulties for the litigant parties".
The report has also pointed out that in the civil appeal "Bolan Beverages (Pvt) Limited vs Pepsico Incorporation" filed in 1996, the judgment written and submitted to the chief justice 18 months before his retirement was also not announced. A new date is now reportedly being fixed for fresh hearing of the case.
I am a shareholder of Adamjee Insurance Company. Owing to a dispute among the 'big bosses' about the control of the company, the former chief justice also granted a stay against the judgment of the Sindh High Court over nearly two years back.
Since the case is pending in the Supreme Court, the shareholders are denied bonuses, dividends, etc. for no fault of theirs. The chief justice of Pakistan is requested to immediately hear this case, too, to provide relief to the thousands of shareholders of Adamjee Insurance Company.
IMRAN RASHID
CDC No.6293 Subscription No.0433
Why buy costly wheat?
This is with reference to a news item (February 24) saying that the government is buying 150,000 tons of wheat from Australia at the price of $224 per ton, which equals to Rs520 per maund ($1 = Rs58).
Our wheat growers are given the set price of Rs350 per maund by the government of Pakistan. Hence the growers do not get adequate returns on their crops, which is resulting in a decline in the wheat cultivation area and compounding the problem of wheat shortages.
It is a pity that the government is paying more to Australian farmers, which will result in loss to foreign exchequer, but does little to alleviate local wheat growers' concerns.
The government should set an appropriate rate for locally-produced wheat to encourage local farmers for bringing in more area under wheat cultivation and increasing investment in agriculture. This will also solve the problem of wheat shortages.
AMJAD NIZAMANI
Hyderabad
An opportunity for Pakistan
The current global economic recovery is led by the United States, and the International Monetary Fund may upgrade its global growth forecast for 2004. "The recovery is broadening and deepening, with all major regions showing improvement. And Asia, led by China and India, is in the vanguard of the global recovery," IMF managing director Horst Koehler said in a speech at an international seminar in South Korea on February 27.
The American Forbes Global business magazine comments in the issue dated March 1 that the US, China and India are leading the business recovery for the global economy.
India's micro-economic fundamentals had never been so strong as they are at present and the impact is visible on industry, agriculture and the service sectors. The gross domestic product recorded a growth of 8.9 per cent in the October-December 2003 quarter, and the inflation rate is low. It has foreign exchange reserves of over $106 billion.
India is now the "youngest" country in the world with an average age of 30. India's English-speaking, scientifically- and mathematically-trained graduates will continue to offset the skills shortages of increasingly aging population in the developed economies for years to come.
The recent improvement in relations with India provides Pakistan with an excellent opportunity to excelerate its economic growth by encouraging trade and investments between the two countries for mutual benefits.
I think the leading Pakistan publications should jointly organize a conference with leading Pakistan business executives, especially those who have recently visited India or are actively dealing with their Indian counterparts, to explore economic potentials in various industries, especially joint ventures such as the one mentioned by Pakistan business leaders with India's Reliance group for petro-chemicals manufacturing in Pakistan.
Care should be taken so that politicians do not take over the event. Apart from business, Pakistan needs to establish top quality independent technical institutes, perhaps with some assistance from India, to enlarge its skills base. The combination of business and media could expedite the government's decision-making process in Pakistan for the benefit of its people.
VIPUL THAKORE
London, UK
PCB's good move
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done well to recall all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir for the forthcoming Indian cricket team's tour to Pakistan after a gap of 14 years. This a good move from the PCB.
Wasim Bari has said both players have been recalled keeping in mind the importance of the series. He has indicated that Afridi will bat in the middle order and support the bowling side, besides boosting fielding.
Imran Nazir is also a wonderful fielder and great stroke player. I suggest sending him to open the innings with Imran Farhat and putting Yasir Hameed at the one-down position. Imran Nazir can help accelerate the run rate in the beginning of the innings. However, Yasir Hameed can boost the middle- order batting.
In the recent series between Australia and Sri Lanka, the difference between both teams was fielding which helped Australia clinch the series. If Afridi and Imran Nazir are included in the team, they can save 30-40 runs and are able to pick a couple of runouts which can make the difference.
I hope the selection committee will consider Afridi and Imran Nazir for the final team for all one-dayers against India.
PARVEZ AHMED PIRZADO
Karachi
New buildings and roads
It has been noticed that a number of new school buildings, residential flats, offices, shopping centres, restaurants and petrol and gas stations are being constructed on The Mall, Fort Road, Khyber Road and University Road in the cantonment and city areas.
In principle, all new buildings are supposed to be kept at least a 100 feet away from the centre of the road to avoid blind corners.
The parliamentarians are requested to pass bylaws for ensuring that in the new areas/ sectors under development the minimum road width is 30 feet and the floor level of buildings is kept at least two feet higher than the road level.
Water supply, drainage and sewerage systems are also required to be properly designed to avoid further haphazard development.
MIAN MUHAMMAD AKHTAR SHAFI
Peshawar
Karachi police
In a Karachi street, when one sees a policeman in a dirty uniform, no cap, loose pants, unshaven, a loose hanging Kalashnikov, eating pan or smoking a cigarette with a ferocious look, or two policemen riding a motorcycle without any number plate, then one wonders how on earth a force comprising such policemen can be helpful in controlling a city of 14 million. Who appointed them and who is their boss?
ADIL SIDQI
Houston, TX., USA
Kashmir dispute
I agree with the suggestions put forward by Mr S. Prasanna in his letter (February 29) to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Both Indians and Pakistanis have suffered a lot because of the Kashmir problem since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. The entire subcontinent feels the heat of the situation and yet no one can do anything about it.
The world is moving fast, good or bad, and for us in this subcontinent to be perennially caught up in the grip of the Kashmir problem cannot be good for anyone. The politicians of both countries have remained stubborn about their stands on the issue and if they move one step forward, they go two steps backward. A few years back the Kargil conflict was about to turn into a full-scale war between the two nuclear powers.
I hope some kind of an understanding is reached and Mr Prasanna's sane suggestions can be taken as a starting point for further negotiations towards finding a reasonable solution to the problem.
FARUQ AZIZ KHAN
Dhaka, Bangladesh
PTCL's reply
This refers to the letter "Complaint to PTCL" (February 25). A PTCL finding shows that the telephone Nos. 438-4556 and 438-5271 are working at house No. 42/1, S/I, Block-6, PECHS, Karachi, in the name of Shireen Kamal and Mr Kamal Mehmood Khan, respectively.
The complaint of Mr Atif Khan was investigated and it was found that both telephones had developed some noise problem due to multiple underground cable faults and continuous digging of a road by local agencies, and the customer was facing problems in getting connected to the Internet. The technical staff attended to the fault at different places, and now both the telephones are working all right, as confirmed with Shireen Kamal.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited is striving hard to provide better telecom services to its valued customers. However, the inconvenience caused to the customers is highly regretted.
ATHER JAVED SUFI
Media Coordinator, PTCL HQ, Karachi
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