11 flood forecasting stations not working

Each department tries to pass the buck on to other

ISLAMABAD: The ravages the country had witnessed during the 2010 super floods underscore the need to have an integrated and up-to-date flood forecasting, warning and response system.

However, this seems not to be the case because the flood forecasting telemetry network’s eleven sites that got damaged during the super floods have not been made functional even today. Due to this, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) is finding it difficult to ensure real-time verification of water flows and diversions at barrages, dams and canal-head regulators.



The Express Tribune contacted various departments concerned to inquire about the matter, but every department had a different story to share that created a lot of confusion over the issue. An official of the Ministry of Water and Power, who is looking after the flood forecasting telemetry network, told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that it has been almost one-and-half-year since the Hydrology and Research Directorate demanded Rs16 million from the ministry to replace these out-of-order flood forecasting telemetry stations, but the directorate has yet to get the funds.

He said there are 44 flood telemetry stations installed at various rivers and 11 are out of order and need urgent replacement. “During the 2010 floods, these 11 flood telemetry systems became dysfunctional and have not been replaced since.”

“At present, data is being gathered manually twice a day at the stations where the telemetry network is not functioning, and real-time data of these stations are missing which is the need of the hour, especially during the monsoon season,” he said. The official added that the issue has been raised several times at different forums, but so far there has been no progress. The equipment is not available in Pakistan and will be procured from the US once the amount is released, he said.



However, a Ministry of Water and Power spokesman when contacted said, “The allocated amount of Rs21.605 million had been released to Wapda against the head ‘O&M’ of the telemetry project for the Indus basin during FY2015-16. Hence, there was nothing outstanding to be paid to the telemetry project during FY2015-16.” Additional DG (public relations division) Wapda told The Express Tribune that the Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission had decided in October 2005 to hand the operation and maintenance of the telemetry system over to Wapda.

He added that since then the funding for the telemetry system is being provided by the government of Pakistan under the current expenditure budget of the Ministry of Water and Power. He, however, said the amount has always proved insufficient for smooth functioning of the system. Therefore, Wapda has to inject Rs160.327 million as a stop-gap arrangement from its mark-up earnings.

“Due to the shrinkage of financial resources, Wapda is now not in a position to provide more funds for the telemetry system,” Abid said.



At present, Irsa has entrusted the task to analyse the existing telemetry system to Nespak, which in its report, has proposed two options: either to make the existing system functional at a cost of Rs180 million or going for a complete replacement of the present equipment with a state-of-the-art system.

Irsa spokesperson Khalid Rana, when contacted, said, “Irsa has nothing to do with the flood forecasting telemetry network because it is being looked after by Wapda.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th, 2016.