Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi on Wednesday inaugurated the telemetry system at dams, barrages, and canals to ensure undisputed distribution of water among the four provinces. "Telemetry has been installed at 23 locations at dams, barrages and canals at a cost of Rs 130 million, which will help in restoring trust among the four federating units," Jatoi said, while talking to journalists at the Secretariat of Indus River System Authority (Irsa).
The minister said that the government was facing some problems on Gomal Zam Dam because of the murder of a Chinese engineer by the terrorists. However, he hoped that the Chinese company would complete the construction work on Gomal Zam Dam in time.
He said that the government has provided complete security to foreign experts, particularly Chinese so that the mega projects could be completed in time.
To a question, he said that the Water Council would not be part of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) as it would function separately and would resolve water problems among the provinces.
Giving objectives of the telemetry system, he said that the automatic telemetry system would help in evolving a better water management system, which takes into account all the shortcomings of the present manual procedure and processes. The information being received and processed has the confidence of all the stakeholders.
This will eradicate possibility of data tampering, he added. The system has been installed on the directives of the president and the prime minister to resolve water issues for transparent water distribution among the provinces.
He said that such type of new system would also be installed in the country on various sectors to develop confidence building.
He said that due to shortage in the country, Irsa did good water management and all the provinces have co-operated in it. There is no shortage for Kharif and Rabi seasons.
He said that water distribution and good water management both are necessary.
The project area for the purpose of data collection spreads from Tarbela to Kotri on all the rivers under Indus Basin in Pakistan. The monitoring location includes federal and all provincial capitals.
This includes two dams, 16 barrages/headworks, 47 canals and eight monitoring locations.
To a question about delay in the operation of the system, he said that there were some technical and law and order problems in Balochistan and Sindh and he has made personal efforts to make it operational.
He also dispelled the impression that the National Water Council (NWC), which will be announced shortly, has same function like that of CCI. He said that the NWC and CCI will have different functions.
The NWC will look after the national drainage programme, water management, availability and losses of water and better co-ordination among the provinces.
The prime minister will head the NWC and the chief ministers of all the provinces, Irsa chairman and federal ministers will be its members.