Bijjli bundd, paani bundd, gas bundd, cash bundd, kaam bundd, sham bundd, sunnut bundd, hirffat bund, food bundd, doodh bundd,. Dokaan bunnd, makkan bundd, pakwaan bundd. Sirff chorr darwazz khulla hai.
In short, all human anatomy’s outlets / orifices are plugged. Only the wicked tongues are wagering wild and vagrant.
In short, all human anatomy’s outlets / orifices are plugged. Only the wicked tongues are wagering wild and vagrant.
There is however, an outstanding exception; A savvy gentleman, with facility of English language, and finesse in Urdu. He has been let loose on several e. media outlets. Once I watched and heard him states that he happens to be the Number Two is the pecking order of Pepco.
On a late night show, he showed us the light at end of the tunnel with a solar torch! I would have believed his bashharat if I didn’t know, at that time the celestial Sun was far away beyond Europe. And his solar torch did not have a back pack! The gentleman did back up, rather over crowded his arguments, with a lot of statistic! I am sure the whole lot of you know, the more popular and realistic substitute expression for the officious statices. The said official churned out the less obvious differences between fossil fuel run satellite power stations, and stagnant hydel projects. At my age, you also would have faltering memory. Hence I don’t recollect, with confidence, about any reference to the pivotal puzzle of: Vicious Circular debt.
To dispel, some of the bad jokes, making rounds, I must submit the following facts, for the sake of record. You are most welcome to verify and treat it as an affidavit.
ONE.
West Pakistan Wapda, had nothing to do with the designation of Hydro-electric potential of the then territory of West Pakistan
TWO.
All the major and minor but feasible damsites were located, surveyed and established, by the Dams Investigation Circle, Ministry of Industries (how ironical) GoP. Now it is the industries which are damned to be doomed and deprived of electricity generated by the dams initiated by the ministry of industries!
Much before Wapdas were conceived or established during and after 1958, in West and East Pakistan. Dams Investigation Circle based at Lahore, had established the pre-feasibilities of several damsites. For instance Kalabagh, Haro, Mangla, Rajdhani, Kotli, Neelam, Sharda, Rohtas and Tarbela. This scribe, as a professional, conducted apprenticeship at Kalabagh damsite way back in 1955. And performed the geotechnical services at Mangla, Kotli, Rajdhani and Haro damsites – before WP Wapda was launched, half a century ago!
Kotli and Rajdhani damsite were two premier candidate locations across River Poonch. Poonch tributary is not so charitable. It contributes just one percent of water to the Mangla reservoir, but brings in 5 % of silt. At that time, when these damsites’ preliminary potential was established, their rough cost estimate was computed to be US Dollars ten million for each. Had these small dams, then been built, the Mangla raising would not have been warranted. Cost over-runs not withstanding, Mangla Raising contract must have created some “instant billionaers”. A lot of many mores must already be under construction billionaers before the proposed Bhasha and its ancillary support infra-stricture is even launched for actual constriction though. Bhasha’s reliable detailed design documents shall not be authenticated within my life time. If it is rushed through for some political expediency, I’ll record in my last will and testament for the next generation: Not to be ever found, without lifejacket, downstream Bhasha dam. Remember, somebody, once had said: “Guns don’t kill people, but they help”.
A trade & industry association had convened a Press Conference on prevalent energy crisis, on January 05, 09. E. media thronged in full force armed with wireless cameras and vans with transmitting dishes and matching digital gadgets. The back drop of the episode was more intriguing, delicious and dramatic. A concerned functionary received a phone call from a marketing executive of the print media parent corporation of one of the TV Channels. The message was straight sweet & sour “You want your Press Conference broadcast on prime time? Release a quarter page ad, for the Sunday edition of the newspaper”! The caller was kind: “You don’t have to pay in advance. We know how to the collect our outstandings”.
Sorry! I couldn’t watch the outcome. In our area, we had power outage for hours, right after dusk. So I failed to be privy to the extra curricular activity.
VICIOUS CIRCULAR DEBT
The name of the game in wide circulation, these days is the: Circular Debt. I had heard about the circular saw and had used a chain saw. But the circular debt is new and news to me it cuts across the state organs and shears the supply chain.
Wapda, IPP’s, PSO, KESCO and FATA are the prime parameters of that Pentagon, which does not have any exit during the foreseeable future. Kesco and Fata owe Wapda equal to about a billion dollars each. Both are not liable to pay any part of it to Wapda, for the energy supplied to each of those sectors. Wapda, IPP’s and PSO have inter-related liabilities, which they can not discharge.
The Transmission and distribution network of Wapda has very high marks for the line and losses due to lines men, with harpoon hooks.
SABE USTED
This expression in pidgin means: “You Know” Our good minister of water and power, thoroughly knows a lot, about his portfolio. And of course, the reasons, that he has been engaged to make false promises to the hapless public.
Not exactly, in the category of Einstein or Newton, but he sure has “invented” a new unit to meter the volume of gas. A TV serial: Hum Sub Umeed Sey Hein, dutifully celebrated the episode in one of theirs. His nomination for the noble Nobel prize, must already be on the cards.
GoP planning is perfect. Here is an example, which should make a must read subject, as “hire” education.
The canals + distributaries’ system warrants silt clearance, annually during December – January. The storage water in dams’ reservoirs is valued and is not released during these weeks. Hence the hydro-electric generation is curtailed. Since the winter crops don’t need any irrigation this exercise has been in vogue, ever since the British farm managers installed the irrigation network.
Gracious courtesy of Peoples Republic of China. We also happen to have a 300 MW Nuclear Power Station at Chashma. The minister stated on the tube; that station had been under repairs and renovation for the past 5 months and shall be open for business on 17th day of Jan. 2009. If only the planners and powers to be, in Islamabad, had some consideration for their 170m serfs, they would have enhanced the repair schedule of Chashma by one month.? And this could have accorded some relief to power deficit, due to canal closures? But some cleptocrat / plutocrat must have asked. “How come? I don’t profit out of it. Why these suckers should have facilities, when my own properties in Miami FL. have depreciated in value”. He, of course, had been mentally challenged, ever since; his daughter sent him the disturbing email about his American properties’ devaluation.
And that’s why the Chashma down-time could not be adjusted. Our fiscal planners yet have another problem: IMF. We are told, that GoP subsidizes, each domestic KW unit that the citizens consume, by paisa 111/Unit. IMF masters don’t like this luxury.
Granted, like the new gas unit, the Hon’ble minister shall certainly discover a new and more expensive unit of electricity, as well.
No grudge of course, it is always prudent to keep the creditors at bay.
The name of the new bureaucratic game is: Alternate Energy. Rest assured, no plausible and economical solutions would be installed, within the present generation’s life span! Rejected and outdated technologies shall be picked up and installed. Not for their proficiency, but for the extra officious considerations. Photo-Ops, of the inaugurals would, whoever be splashed across the FrontPages and during prime time.
A bereaved widow in Ludhiana (Indian Punjab), after the burial of her husband overcomes with intense grief and laments loudly:
Way too kithay toor gaya
Jithay bistar na manjee
Jithay aataa naa roti
Jithay paani naa battee (bijli)
On hearing this, her very young but rather knowledgeable son interjected:
Amma, kidhray Abba Jee Pakistan ta naee toor gayay?
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