Irsa seeks to scrap telemetry system: Water loss audit planned
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) is seeking to carry out an audit of water losses in rivers and the scrapping of Rs350 million telemetry system.
Sources said on Tuesday that Irsa has also written to the federal government to stop payment of Rs3 million arrears to Siemens — the contractors of the telemetry system — because of its failure to rectify the system. The Wapda had given an Rs9 million contract to Siemens for operation and maintenance of the system last year following reports that the system was not providing accurate data on water discharges.
Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi is expected to preside over a meeting next week to discuss opinions of various parties, including Irsa members, provincial governments and the Wapda and formulate a case for approval and implementation. The sources said the ministry was convening an inter-provincial meeting during the week but postponed for a few days owing to a visit to the provinces of new chairman Irsa Mohammad Khan Memon, who hails from Sindh.
These sources said the Irsa informed the ministry of water and power that it was not satisfied with the working of the telemetry system and hence there was no reason why the contractors be paid a full amount.
The Irsa is now proposing to the government to totally revamp the idea of telemetry system, with preparation of a new feasibility report and other technical designs based on new calibrations because the existing has completely failed to provide correct data since its inception and inauguration in September 2004.
Referring to the water loss audit, the sources said that Irsa has prepared its case for the federal government to conduct an independent study of water losses in the rivers to take remedial measures and ascertain equitable provincial water shares after correct provision for water losses.
Currently, Irsa assumes 15 per cent water losses while allocating provincial shares although it is verified that the losses are more than 16 per cent on an average. For example, water losses in the Taunsa-Guddu Reach were registered at 77 per cent.
Irsa members from Balochistan, NWFP and Sindh had opposed last year to award contract for the operation and maintenance of the telemetry system to the contractor who had originally installed the system following continuous problems faced by the system and Irsa’s refusal to run the project independently unless all faults were rectified.
The federal government, however, on the recommendations of the Wapda decided to hire the services of Siemens that had completed the project.
