I was amazed to read Wapda’s advertisement that appeared in various newspapers claiming ‘Wapda – committed to a Brighter Pakistan’ (July 14).
As matter of fact, the role of Wapda has generally remained controversial for the last four decades. At least its three former chiefs belonging to Punjab openly supported their province at the cost of rest of the three provinces. They were: late Lt Gen (r) Safdar Butt, General (r) Zulfikar Khan and Tariq Hameed. Needless to mention, two former Prime Ministers, Z A Bhutto and Syed Yousaf Reza Gilani, called Wapda a white elephant.
A resolution was unanimously passed in the KP Assembly to shift Wapda’s headquarters from Lahore due to Wapda’s policies against three provinces whereas similar voices also echoed in the Sindh Assembly.
For the man-made extensive destruction of Indus delta – the sixth largest in the world, Wapda, among others, is directly responsible resulting in sea intrusion inundating 2.7 million acres of valuable land in Sindh whereas non-release of limited water downstream Kotri has left 2.6 million people living in area of 145 kilometres, stretching from Kotri downstream to Arabian Sea, to die due to hunger and thirst despite they are Muslims, human beings and Pakistani Sindhis.
Human tragedy due to worst environmental conditions is expected in Sindh as a result of non-release of at least 10 maf water Kotri downstream despite Water Accord of 1991 being signed 22 years back.
Meanwhile, ever-increasing high level corruption in Wapda is also big problem. Sometime back, the auditor general presented a report in the National Assembly disclosing Rs 90 crores embezzlements in Wapda. After a few days, there were other reports in media disclosing at least Rs 2.2 billion embezzlement in Neelam and other projects. Such reports are common in media but our elected government is totally unaware of them.
A large number of people would join me when I say Wapda has harmed Pakistan more than any foreign country by damaging the interests of three provinces out of four, creating discontentment among the people. Wapda also maneuvered data about release and availability of water to support one province, from time to time.
I suggest Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo motu action against the ever increasing high level corruption in Wapda and its long standing policies against three out of four provinces.
Also I suggest PPP government to form a commission to probe prevailing record-corruption in Wapda in addition to its controversial policies
MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL
Karachi