| December 7, 2005 | Wednesday | Ziqa’ad 4, 1426 |
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Haemorrhagic fever
‘Use of donations’
Corruption
Archaeology deptt
Grace marks
Urea import
Cadaver law
Earthquakes and storms
Naib nazim elections
Post office theft
Pedestrian bridge
THIS is with reference to reports in leading newspapers regarding several meetings convened by the prime minister on mega dams. It is clear that Wapda is determined to misguide the government and the public to build the Kalabagh dam, irrespective of consequences, simply on the ground that a controversial and doubtful feasibility is available.
This feasibility is full of doubts about the proposed dam’s weak foundation, rapid silting from a catchment area of 110,500 square miles being at the tail-end, besides its restricted mid-level sluicing design instead of low-level sluicing. Moreover, the KBD location is on fault lines and the dam has been designed for operational basis earthquake (OBE) instead of maximum credible earthquake (MCE).
The KBD power generation is wrongly stated to be 3,600 MW. It will be only about 800 MW, as from June 1 to July 20, the reservoir would be empty and would be on run-of-river. The reservoir emptying and refilling would also take about 45 days. All this will affect power generation. Besides this, the hydraulic head is reduced from 925 to 915 that further reduces power generation. For these reasons, a 2,000 MW thermal power plant is proposed to be attached to the KBD in support of hydropower.
The project is most uneconomical as its compensation cost is not based on the price level of 2006 but is based at the 1983 price level. Moreover, the area affected by inundation and waterlogging is not included in the cost of compensation.
The KBD will destroy the Peshawar valley not only due to submergence but also due to inundation and waterlogging on account of the blockage of the sub-surface flow of the Peshawar valley. The backwater flow and flooding in the Kabul River would further aggravate the situation. It may be noted that the KBD is only a replacement dam and is, therefore, not a development dam. It will not irrigate a single acre of new area. The KBD was rejected by the Indus River System Authority on Oct 22, 1996 being unfeasible hydrologically, geologically and economically. If Wapda and Punjab insist in spite of the above-mentioned reservations, then instead of a dam a raised barrage may be built that can store about three maf of water and also produce uninterrupted power.
I agree with Mr A.N.G. Abbasi about building the 35-maf Katzarah dam as more than 30 maf of water is available at the Katzarah site. Katzarah storage is six times larger than the KBD’s at less cost. It is capable of generating 15,000 MW of power if 35 maf water is stored. Katzarah will act as a unique watershed management dam by submerging one of the world’s highly erodible soils in the Skardu valley that is a heavy source of silt flow into the Indus. Therefore, Katzarah must be built first at all costs to prevent silt flow in the Indus and prolong the life of all subsequent reservoirs.
As a result, the life of Basha will be prolonged from its estimated life of 80 years to about 800 years. Moreover, the Basha dam will act as a balancing reservoir for the Katzarah dam. Katzarah can provide irrigation water to about eight million acres of new barren land in the four provinces. In the meantime, the raised Mangla would provide about three maf of storage to immediately compensate for the loss of storage due to the silting of Tarbela and Mangla. Katzarah is really a colossal development and water management dam. It is a power dam, river regulation dam, and super-flood control and carry-over dam, besides a replacement dam for 1,000 years due to an excellent capacity-inflow ratio and nominal silt flow at Katzarah.
FATEH ULLAH KHAN
Ex-chairman, IRSA, Peshawar
THIS is in response to the letter “The death of a young doctor’ (Nov 24) by house officers, Civil Hospital, Karachi.
The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is liaising with the government and other hospitals for providing comprehensive management to the existing cases of haemorrhagic fever. During the last two-and-a-half months, the AKUH admitted as well as treated 60 patients suffering from the affliction. These patients were male and female adults as well as children and represented all socio-economic groups. These critically ill patients were offered the most comprehensive diagnostic and medical care — they all were kept in isolation rooms and those who were more critically ill were managed in the intensive care unit. All necessary tests were carried out and the required anti-viral as well as the necessary medical treatment was provided, including artificial ventilation, when needed.
In spite of the best efforts by our specialist doctors and nurses and critical care management, six of these patients, including Dr Yusra Afaque, could not survive due to the severity of the illness, which affected almost all major organs of their bodies. As on Nov 29, 45 patients had been discharged after having recovered from the disease and nine patients were still hospitalized and undergoing treatment.
The AKUH would like to clarify the wrong impression created in the letter that Dr Yusra Afaque was not provided the necessary care, including a ventilator. The university hospital provided all necessary critical and intensive care management and the patient could not survive due to the severe nature of the disease.
As part of the university’s societal commitment, the faculty is organizing public health education programmes to highlight the necessary preventive measures for controlling the spread of this infection.
DR FARHAT ABBAS
Medical Director, Aga Khan
University Hospital, Karachi
MR Anwer Mooraj while dilating on the donors’ conference recently held at Islamabad (“Making proper use of donations”, Nov 28) has also touched upon the background of former president Ayub Khan’s decision to shift the federal capital from Karachi to Islamabad. Although he is right in his conclusion, his reference to Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq is not correct.
It was not Feroze Shah but Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq (Ulgh Khan) who shifted the capital from Delhi to Deogari (Doulatabad). His decision was not motivated by the salubrious climate of the latter but its strategic location.
The Muslims first entered the Deccan (Sanskrit word Duxun, country lying south of the river Narbada) in 1294 when Sultan Alauddin Khilji conquered Deogiri, the capital of the most powerful kingdom of Raja Ramdeo. But because of inaccessibility from Delhi, the raja was allowed to retain his throne in lieu of an annual tribute. This arrangement could not continue and this kingdom was subsequently annexed with the Delhi sultanate.
The conquest of other parts of the Deccan continued even during the period of the Tughlaq dynasty. Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq in order to hold the Deccan under his effective control shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. In 1347, four years before his death, Muhammad Tughlaq lost control of state affairs.
Thereafter, taking advantage, Hassan Ganga, an officer of high station in the Sultan’s army, headed a successful revolt against his lord and established the first independent Muslim kingdom in the Deccan known as the “Bahmanee Kingdom”. He set up capital at Gulburga, now known as Hyderabad. The rule of this dynasty extended through 171 years.
MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi
TRANSPARENCY International recently placed Pakistan in a group of nations that in terms of corruption are amongst the fifth worst off in the world. The regime had to emphatically reassure major donor countries that the aid given for earthquake relief would be disbursed and accounted for in a more transparent manner. This puts into question the role of NAB, which was created to curb corruption.
In spite of all the hue and cry, a scandal erupted when the first large-scale order for acquisition of tents worth Rs1.8 billion led to a controversy. Pakistan is one of the largest manufacturers of canvass, the material normally used in the manufacture of tents. The tents required for earthquake victims were meant to be water- and weather-proof so as to withstand the freezing rain and snowstorms.
These tents are usually available for Rs3,500. Merchants of death supplied tents made of drill cotton and sold them at the inflated price of Rs6,500 each. Tents made of drill cotton cannot shield people from cold or light rain.
So much for assurances of transparency. It is a tradition in Third World countries to assume that punishing the corrupt within the corridors of power will bring a bad name to the regime.
This school of thought has only further motivated those in the business of minting money in flagrant violation of all rules and norms.
All institutions of the state are today void of credibility. This nation was created so that its people could live in peace, as sovereign citizens of a free state, where their welfare was the primary agenda, and their elected representatives were custodians of the state and not silent spectators.
ANEELA BHUGHIO
Hyderabad
THE culture ministry has ordered transfer of the “headquarters” of the department of archaeology from Karachi to Islamabad. It is not understood why the transfer has been ordered since the department was functioning in Karachi from the very inception of Pakistan.
Unlike Punjab and the NWFP, there are no provincial departments of archaeology in Sindh and Balochistan. The department of archaeology therefore has to bear the burnt of preservation work in these provinces.
The archaeological potential of Balochistan has not so far been properly tapped, nor its monuments of early Muslim period brought under the rule of the Antiquities Act, 1975. The world-renowned archaeological site of Moenjodaro is not in a proper state. It requires not only due attention, but also constant care. All these responsibilities, devolving upon the federal department of archaeology, can better be discharged by it from Karachi.
In view of the above the prime minister is requested to order retention of the headquarters of the archaeology department in Karachi.
RASUL BAKSH MEHAR
Karachi
THERE are several anomalies in the working of the Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi, which need to be rectified. In an earlier letter “Grace marks for students”, I had requested Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan to review the matter of those students who could not pass the intermediate examinations when the previous policy of awarding “grace marks” was revoked by the then governor Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider.
Dr Ebad Khan advised the board authorities to review all such cases of students who had failed for want of a few grace marks to enable them to continue studies for degree classes.
Although two years have passed, the students who had passed intermediate examinations with “grace marks” have not yet been issued Higher Secondary Certificates, as complete results of science, commerce and arts faculties have yet to be compiled by the board.
It is also a practice with this board that Higher Secondary Certificates are issued after two to three years of passing the HSC examinations. This immediately needs to be rectified as compiling of results, issuance of mark-sheets and Higher Secondary Certificates are all done manually, which takes quite a long time for the board staff to write in neat handwriting.
During this period, a number of students migrate from one city to another with their family members and in some cases students go abroad for higher studies, making it difficult for them and their parents to collect their Higher Secondary Certificates within the stipulated time.
Issuance of consolidated mark-sheet is also a cumbersome process. This has also remained unresolved for decades. There are good students who pass examinations in the first attempt, but there are also a number of students who pass examinations after several attempts.
Every time a student is issued with a separate mark-sheet after appearing in each attempt. The board should issue a consolidated mark-sheet each time when a student appears in the examinations, whether it is his or her first, second, third or fourth attempt.
The board has also restricted the number of times a student can appear in examinations. At present he cannot make more than four attempts as his registration expires after two years. But if he fails in all the four attempts and clears a few papers, these become null and void. The student has to reappear in all the papers of Classes XI and XII right from scratch, after obtaining a new registration.
The maximum time limit for issuing Higher Secondary Certificates should be six months from the date of passing the examinations, as the present policy of issuing certificates in two to three years hurts both the students and their parents.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the article “Farmers question costly urea import” (Nov 28). The Trading Corporation of Pakistan seems to be awarding contracts that are detrimental to all the stakeholders involved. Instead of awarding urea contracts to the lowest bidders, it has awarded bids at a much higher price of $270.
This violates the constitutional rights of those parties that did successfully qualify as valid bidders and, in addition, is wasting nearly $25 million from the exchequer.
While managing the biggest natural disaster of Pakistan’s history, the public hoped that all government organizations would be sensitive to the financial burden on the government and maximize funds available for relief and rehabilitation of the affected.
However, instances such as the TCP contracts show that the government is still suffering at the hands of officials whose primary focus seems to be personal gain at the expense of the national interest.
The TCP seems to be misusing its discretionary power it has, as the reasons it has put forward for not accepting lower bids have not satisfied any of the stakeholders, from the Farmers Vision Forum to various disgruntled bidders who quoted less than $270.
As a concerned citizen, I demand that the TCP re-evaluate its decision and provide satisfactory explanations for wasting $25 million of the government.
NIDA BUTT
Karachi
I ENDORSE your editorial “Cadaver donation law” (Nov 18). We have been fighting for this for a long time, but our government has failed to pass this law in the Senate, as admitted by the Senate chairman. This shows how backward we are in health, education and democracy.
In educated societies like Sri Lanka, eye donation (corneas) is almost compulsory. For many years they have been helping the blind all over the world. In Pakistan, most of the corneas are imported from Sri Lanka at a cost of $250(Rs15,000). Sadly there is no cadaver law in this country.
Recently with this earthquake disaster we could have saved thousands of corneas and restored visions to many blind people, but all in vain, thanks to our parliamentarians. Iran, our next-door neighbour, did well to retrieve corneas when the earthquake happened in Bam.
In Pakistan, besides the cadaver donation law, we have to educate our society through the print and electronic media regarding organ donation after death.
DR TARIQ AZIZ
Karachi
MR Jafar Wafa’s article (Nov 25) has very rightly referred to Sura 67:16, 18 regarding earthquakes. However, V.2, 12, 13 clearly indicate that there are universal injunctions that earthquakes and storms are divine warnings to test the people in their right and wrong actions and even thoughts, advising them to seek forgiveness and rectifying their wrong actions, if any, to avoid such reckonings.
Such self-accountability leads us to a search of our own actions regarding several divine injunctions, e.g., for free, speedy justice 4:58, 5:8, “Shoora-bai-nahum” 42:38, for consensus in all matters of governance and adherence to the Islamic dress code 24:30-31, 33:33-59, to avoid violence and crimes against women and children, apart from honesty, rule of law, “tabzeer” or waste of resources only for show, sympathy for poor neighbours and, above all, our understanding of the Holy Quran when recited, etc.
It is, therefore, time we carried out our own self-accountability and tried to rectify our actions in accordance with the holy injunctions.
S.M.H. RIZVI
Karachi
“PROVINCIAL governments plan to simultaneously amend their respective local council laws to provide for election of naib nazims through show of hands instead of secret ballot .” — News item.
The proposed change intends to kill the very sprit of democracy and reduce the voting procedure to a mere ritual. How can a show of hand be a substitute for a secret vote without betraying the sovereign rights of the people? Is the change not intended to ensure that council members really vote for the candidate they are paid or forced to vote for? Indirect elections of naib nazims, instead of that through the direct vote of the people, were bad enough for democracy. This move will wipe out even the last traces of it.
Will the media care to agitate the issue? Will our justice system care to move beyond mere word-wise interpretation of laws and take note of how laws easily allow acts contradictory to the very sprit on which they are based?
KHALED AHMED
Islamabad
MY uncle sent an expensive digital camera from Germany to Pakistan on Sept 7. Unfortunately it was not sent via registered mail and till Nov 27, I had yet to receive it. I went to the international mail office in Karachi and the employees there did not co-operate with me.
I also faxed a complaint to the authorities concerned but received no reply. I will be obliged if the post office’s senior management can help me retrieve my digital camera.
SHAHBAZ ALI
Karachi
THIS is to request the authorities concerned to build pedestrian bridges on Karachi’s Sharea Faisal near the Duty-free Shop, the Awami Markaz and near the Nursery.
ASHFAQ SHARIF
Karachi
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