A spokesman for WAPDA has confirmed that the news item, “One-third of telemetry instruments of WAPDA not operating,” which appeared in the Business Recorder on August 17, 2022, is not founded on facts.
It is made clear that 34 of the 44 Flood Telemetric Stations—which are still within the World Bank’s Defect Liability Period—have been improved and restored thanks to WCAP funding.
The World Bank did not provide funding for the rehabilitation of the remaining 10 stations, which are in AJK. As a result, these locations have deteriorated. 10 Flood Telemetric Stations are being upgraded, nevertheless, according to Mangla Dam Organization, which is looking into solutions.
The representative added that 30 of the 34 stations are operational and are continuously dispensing data. While the contractor is now importing them from Italy and will replace them appropriately, the remaining 4 stations are not functioning because of malfunctioning sensors.
To ensure that data is easily accessible to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) office, Project Director Hydrology and Research has sent workers, led by an engineer, to that office.
No one is aware of any of these 44 Flood Telemetric Stations being erected on Barrages under the jurisdiction of provincial irrigation departments.
The Indus Basin Telemetry Project mentioned in the news item was cancelled, and the Indus Basin Irrigation System Telemetry System has not yet been installed.
It is made clear that neither the hill torrent catchments nor the Balochistan region has any WAPDA flood telemetric stations established.
