Water And Power Development Authority Research Articles

Assessing the existing guidelines of environmental impact assessment and mitigation measures for future hydropower projects in Pakistan

Introduction: More than 16% of the total electricity used worldwide is met by hydropower, having local to regional environmental consequences. With positive indicators that energy is becoming more broadly available and sustainable, the world is moving closer to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7). Pakistan became the first nation to include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its national development strategy.Methodology: The current study sought to investigate the structural limits of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) guidelines for hydropower development in Pakistan. The study included the document review of the EIA reports about hydropower projects in Pakistan, scientific questionnaires from decision-makers, and public consultation.Results and Discussion: The document evaluates that an adequate mechanism is available, and donors like the Asian Development Bank and World Bank observe the implementation process of EIA in Pakistan. However, a comprehensive analysis of the EIA system found several things that could be improved, not only in the institutional framework but also in actual implementation and practices. More than 20% of respondent decision-makers disagreed with the compliance of the current Institutional Framework with EIA guidelines, and 25% think that the existing guidelines followed in Pakistan are not aligned with international standards and practices for Hydropower in actual practice. EIA has a limited impact on decision-making due to insufficient technical and financial resources.Recommendations: There should be a think tank with experts who can meet the needs of present and future epochs. The public should be communicated with and educated about EIA. For better efficiency, the officers and decision-makers should be trained internationally, i.e., the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

Ascertainment of Hydropower Potential Sites Using Location Search Algorithm in Hunza River Basin, Pakistan

The recent energy shortfall in Pakistan has prompted the need for the development of hydropower projects to cope with the energy and monetary crisis. Hydropower in the northern areas is available yet has not been explored too much. Focusing on the sustainable development goal (SDG) “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy”, thirteen proposed sites were selected from upstream to downstream of the Hunza River for analysis. The head on all the proposed sites was determined by taking the elevation difference between the proposed turbine and the intake at all sites. The discharge on all proposed ungauged sites was determined using ArcGIS for watershed delineation and the area ratio method along with Soil Conservation Service–Curve Number (SCS-CN) by using gauged data of Hunza River provided by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Pakistan at Daniyor bridge Gilgit, Shimshal and the Passo tributaries of Hunza River. The Location Search Algorithm (LSA) approach used a multi-criteria decision-making tool (MDM) to make a decision matrix considering the location and constraint criteria and then normalizing the decision matrix using benefit and cost criteria, the relative weights were assigned to all criteria using a rank sum weighted method and the sites were ranked on the basis of the final score. The results revealed that Hunza River has a significant hydropower potential and based on the final score in the LSA approach, proposed site 13, site 4 and site 9 were concluded as the most promising sites among proposed alternatives. The proposed methodology could be an encouraging step for decision makers for future hydropower development in Pakistan.

PV Based Automatic Irrigation System

Pakistan is an agricultural country and requires an adequate supply of water for irrigation throughout the year. Water is one of the most precious natural resources and its effectual management is a main concern in various agricultural systems around the world. The major problem is the water accumulation by the wealthy farmers store water for their own fields and allow water to pass to other farmers after receiving the money. Secondly, most of the time water wastage occurs due to over watering, it is because there is very large area in the fields (in acres) that is very difficult for the famers to supervise all the area. Similarly, sometime there is inadequate water supply, which cause the damage of crops or results in lesser yield on some section of the field. This paper presents solution of the mentioned problems and increasing the hold of Indus River Systems Authority (IRSA) on the irrigation mechanism so that the required quantity of water can only be delivered at the specific time for each field (as per requiring output from sensors grounded in field). The presented system consists of implement of the sensors in each corner of the fields, when the sensor value (in voltage) goes to satisfied number it sends notification to IRSA and if the water level goes to danger level, it will automatically close the gate from where water is released. New water system with electrical control advancements can improve water utilization proficiency, compelling water sparing and diminishing the natural affects. The target of the presented system is to dodge wastage of water and enhance efficiency of irrigation by utilizing a PLC based irrigation framework with the assistance of soil dampness sensors. An automatic control system of gates helps to close or open the gates if the water level in soil reaches a critical value. The motivation behind this work was to create a self-administering water supply framework that works on utilization of a solitary model according to which; the water supply follows a pre-supplied timetable along-with the monitoring of the in-field conditions, prompting a sensible sparing in the measure of water supply. It should likewise be dependable and effectively deployable to work under cruel outside conditions without the requirement for oversight or customary checking. The deployed electronic system can be powered through solar energy. The developed mechanism can make farmers capable of fulfilling their irrigation needs besides the PV based generated extra electricity can be shared or sold to neighbors or water and power Development authority (WAPDA).

The Impact of Occupational Stress on Employees’ Somatic Symptoms, Job Anxiety and Employee’s Turnover Intention—An Empirical Study

The aim of this study is to analyse the reliability and validity of job factors in relation to the impact of occupational stress on employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention through a two time cross-sectional study of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). The method employed consisted of two times self-reported cross-sectional surveys that covered 420 respondents at T1 and 388 respondents at T2. Results: Appropriate internal consistencies of the seven scales i.e. demands, control, job stress, social supports, employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention were obtained. Zero-order correlation and linear and multiple regressions analysis replicated the theoretically assumed structure of the job factors and employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention construct in men and women collectively. Evidence of criterion validity was obtained from cross-correlations of the scales and from their linear and multiple regression analysis. Finally, all seven measures were associated with a highly significant ratio of job stress, and the effect was strongest for the job stress ratio as predicted by the fundamental theory of Karasek. Conclusion: We examine how users, who are assimilating job factors into their work, experience the level of work related demands in their jobs, the level of autonomy/control they have over their work, and how these relate to outcomes, such as employees’ somatic symptoms, job anxiety and turnover intention. Based on the results of this study the seven-version scale is considered reliable and serves as a valid instrument for measuring psychosocial pressure in work environment. These outcomes and measures are applicable to all services and manufacturing industries. Keywords: Work Overload, Work Control, Organisational Support, Job Stress, Somatic Symptoms, Job Anxiety, and Employees Turnover Intention (ETI)

Simulation-Optimization of Tarbela Reservoir Operation to Enhance Multiple Benefits and to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

Pakistan’s agriculture and economy rely heavily on the Tarbela Reservoir. The present storage capacity of Tarbela is 8.2 BCM and it has been depleted by more than 40% due to sedimentation since 1976. It also has had a 0.94 percent (0.134 BCM) decrease in gross reservoir capacity every year. Historically, the amount of sediment trapped in the Tarbela Reservoir during the period 1976–2020 was 198.5 million tonnes annually. Based on the current operation by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the delta is expected to extend to 2.41 km from the dam in 2035. The reservoir will become a run-of-the-river reservoir with a gross storage capacity of 2.87 BCM. This rapid loss of storage capacity will significantly impact reservoir benefits while also putting turbine performance at risk due to abrasion. Slowing the sediment deposition phenomena by a flexible operational strategy is a worthwhile aim from the dam manager’s viewpoint to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (i.e., poverty and hunger alleviation, clean affordable energy, protecting ecosystem etc.). Therefore, for the safe and long-term operation of the turbines, the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) adopted by WAPDA need to be appraised to delineate their impact on future optimized operations. The aspect of considering static SOPs on the whole period of reservoir operation has not been attempted earlier. The Tarbela Reservoir was selected as a case study to enhance the existing reservoir operation. The methodology relies upon the use of a 1-D sediment transport model in HEC-RAS to study the impact of the operational strategy on sedimentation. In conjunction, the existing reservoir operation of Tarbela was modelled in HEC-ResSim using its physical, operational, and 10-daily time-series data for simulation of releases and hydropower benefits based on a revised elevation-capacity curve for sedimentation. After calibration and validation, the model was applied to predict future reservoir operation impacts on a 5-year basis from 2025 to 2035 for determining storage capacity, irrigation releases, power production and energy generation. It was predicted that as the storage capacity of the reservoir is depleted (by application of the WAPDA current SOPs in future years), the irrigation releases would be increased in the Kharif season (April–September) by 7% and decreased by 50% in the Rabi season (October–March) with a corresponding increase in power generation by 4% and decrease by 37%, respectively, and the average annual energy generation would be decreased by 6.5%. The results showed that a gradual increase in the minimum operating level will slow down delta movement but it will reduce irrigation releases at times of high demand. The findings may assist water managers to improve the Tarbela Reservoir operation to achieve sustainable development goals and to attain societal future benefits.

Technical and Economical Evaluation of Solar PV System for Domestic Load in Pakistan: An Overlook Contributor to High Tariff and Load Shedding

Despite the addition of generation sources to the installed capacity, Pakistan is facing frequent load-shedding, electricity interception, and a high tariff rate. Focusing on the said issues, an investigation has been completed of all the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) along with statistics like yearly losses, recovery, and tariff are reviewed to analyze the power network. It is a clear scenario that there is still a gap between supply and demand, and the generation major part is from fossil fuels which result in the high tariff due to unvarying fuel prices and environmental issues. This in fact has become uneconomical for the domestic users to utilize electricity from the power companies. Apart from this, Pakistan is blessed with a high potential for renewable energy resources, which is a good indication from an economic and environmental point of view but unfortunately, its usage is less. Keeping in view all statistics and key issues, this article focusses on the economic and technical evaluation on different cases like load running on Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), load on Solar PV system with backup, load on Solar PV system without backup, and Utility with a generator backup. Various economic techniques are used as Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period (PBP), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to analyze and select the cost-effective solution. From the analysis, utilization of load from the Utility company and PV systems were compared. The PV system is the most economical and reliable system when compared with other cases.

ASSESSMENT OF PEOPLE CRITERIA IN PUBLIC SECTOR: A TALE DOCUMENTED THROUGH LENS OF CAF

Growing trends such as globalization, internationalization, and diversity management have increased the use of HRM practices in the South Asian region. In the recent past, various reform initiatives taking place have propelled the public sector HRM in an opportunistic direction. HRM in Pakistan is still passing through a preliminary phase. The culture in Pakistan's public sector organization is highly centralized and bureaucratic with political interference on practices. It is a descriptive study framed in a mixed-method approach. A comparative analysis has been conducted of three semi-autonomous state-owned enterprises of Pakistan which are Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL). The current research's theoretical bases are taken from the revised version of CAF 2013 model by the European Institute of Public Administration. The research objectives are twofold: To study the people criterion of CAF in WAPDA, WASA and SNGPL, and to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these enterprises required to identify areas of improvement. The qualitative data will be collected through 45 in-depth interviews; analyzed through thematic analysis. The quantitative data is analyzed through scores given by interviewers and documentary secondary evidence. The current research will be significant as it will assist other public sector organizations in using quality management techniques and improve the performance of their organizations by following the footsteps of WAPDA, WASA, and SNGPL. Keywords: HRM system; Pakistan; Common Assessment Framework; Public sector. JEL Codes: M10; O15

Evaluation of Regulatory Governance of the National Electric Power Sector of Pakistan

This study will try to evaluate the regulatory governance of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). The authority was formed in 1997 to overcome the inefficiencies of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) (now K-electric) and to improve the power sector through good regulations. Moreover, it was supposed to protect the interests of consumers, investors, and operators equally through its autonomy, professionalism, transparency, and credibility. Furthermore, it must grant licenses, determine tariffs and rates, ensure quality service, provide a feasible environment for privatization, and redress the complaints of electricity consumers. This study incorporates both qualitative and quantitative techniques. That is why, even after 23 years, the authority has not yet overcome the issues in the power industry. The study found that the lack of specialists, the lack of autonomy, and the lack of openness and accountability handicapped the government. This study has tried to highlight those problems which hinder the progress of NEPRA and suggested some policy recommendations for its improvement by granting autonomy, enhancing professionalism, a good complaint readdress mechanism, and inclusive in decision-making. This study has highlighted the most ignored prospects of energy regulations, which the authority has been missing for a long time, for enhancing the regulatory governance of energy

Did the restructuring of the electricity generation sector increase social welfare in Pakistan?

The power sector of Pakistan has undergone a substantial, yet protracted power sector reform program in 1992. Under this program, the government allowed participation of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), followed by the breakup of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) into various entities and the establishment of power sector regulatory authority, namely NEPRA in 1997. The power sector reforms in Pakistan have not been evaluated sufficiently to determine the actual costs and benefits incurred by different segments of the society, to correct the path of upcoming reforms. This study attempts to investigate the socio-economic impacts of restructuring of WAPDA's generation segment and private sector participation in the electricity generation sector of Pakistan by using a social cost-benefit analysis approach. The study has analyzed the impacts of reforms on government, private sector, and consumers (domestic, commercial, industrial and agriculture) of the power sector. The results have shown that the main benefit of private sector participation came from the timely expansion of generation capacity. However, environmental and electricity generation costs became exorbitant after power sector reforms. Consumers and government remained net losers, while IPPs were winners in the process of restructuring and privatization. This paper concludes that power generation sector reforms with private sector participation have impacted the overall social welfare adversely. It further concludes that had regulation been scrupulous with adequate supportive role of government with social obligations, consumers and government could have benefited from restructuring and privatization of the power sector generation sector in Pakistan.

Future water availability from the western Karakoram under representative concentration pathways as simulated by CORDEX South Asia

Employing a fully distributed hydrological model of SPHY (spatial processes in hydrology), we assessed the future water availability from a highly glacierized basin of Hunza in the western Karakoram under plausible climates as projected by the representative concentration pathways (RCPs). We successfully calibrate and validate the SPHY model for the periods 1994–1997 and 1997–2000 respectively using three high-altitude representative meteorological stations from the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan. Then, we run the model for near- (2007–2036), mid- (2037–2066), and far-future (2067–2096) climate projections under three different RCP scenario, i.e., RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5. Each scenario includes four high-resolution (~ 50 km) climate experiments that are obtained from dynamically downscaling the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) experiments under the framework of the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiments (CORDEX) for South Asia. The SPHY model projects a substantial increase in the ensemble mean discharges throughout the 21st century under all RCP scenarios. Such an increase is dominated by the enhanced glacier melt contribution under the high warming scenario of RCP8.5. Besides featuring a declining trend, snowmelt contribution will also remain higher than that of the historical period throughout the 21st century and under all RCPs. Our flow duration curve analysis suggests that high and median flows are projected to increase while low flows are projected to decrease in the future. These findings provide invaluable insights into the uncertainty spectrum of the water availability from the western Karakoram across envisaged future climates, which will be supportive in better managing the downstream water resources.

An Effort towards Zero Percent Load Shedding utilizing Four Different Sources

Background/Objectives: With the swift increasing electricity demands, Pakistan is a densely populated nation that commonly encountered the problem of low energy sources. To tackle the energy crises, four different means of low-cost energy sources mainly Solar, Inverter, Generator, and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) are employed. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The current work will give ceaseless power supply to a load, naturally from one of the above four sources which is more cost-productive. Findings: Cost of every source is found out and it has been observed that the price of photovoltaic cells is the minimum one for the next ten years. Applications/Improvements: The proposed system can be best implemented in hospitals or remote areas where the electricity is not present and real-time companies which manipulates the data at every movements. Also the home users can be benefited from this system but the initial cost would be high and for once only. Moreover, the improvements can be done by adding the GSM module which can be used to regularize the load according to user convenience. Keywords: Generator, Inverter, Solar, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)

Spatio-temporal trends in snow extent and their linkage to hydro-climatological and topographical factors in the Chitral River Basin (Hindukush, Pakistan)

In many parts of the world, including the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) region, the population depends on snow and glaciers-melt waters to grow food, generate electricity and store water for their use throughout the year. The annual and seasonal variation in the snow cover area (SCA) due to its response to the climatic variables directly influences the water supplies. The aim of current study is to evaluate the spatio-temporal trends in the annual and seasonal snow cover at basin-wide scale. Impact of topography on the SCA is analyzed by revealing the trends in SCA in different elevation bands. It also investigates the trends in hydro-climatic factors (temperature, precipitation and river flows) in the Chitral River basin (Hindukush region) and their linkage to the SCA variations. Snow cover is estimated using cloud-free 8-day MODIS snow products on 17-year time-period (2000–2016). Hydro-climatic data of the river flow (1989–2014), temperature, and precipitation (1965–2013) were obtained from Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). Trend analysis of the SCA and hydro-climatic variables was carried out using Mann-Kendall’s trend test and Sen’s slope. The results reveal: (1) a significant increasing trend in the SCA at basin-wide scale and at all elevation zones i.e. A to E (1471–7708 m ASL), except zone B (2500–3500 m ASL), (2) decreasing and constant trends in the mean temperature and total precipitation, respectively, over the same time-period as SCA indicating possible reasons for increasing SCA, (3) a slight decrease in the mean annual and summer flow (1989–2014) possibly due to the summer cooling, reduced snowmelt and slightly decreasing summer precipitation over this time-period, and (4) strong dependency of the Chitral River flow on snowmelt, driven by the temperature seasonality. Modeling snowmelt runoff under future climate projections in the study area may help to manage the water resources properly.

Cost and energy analysis of a grid-tie solar system synchronized with utility and fossil fuel generation with major Issues for the attenuation of solar power in Pakistan

The entire world is facing severe energy crises. Gas, coal, biomass, oil, hydropower, wind, and solar power are the essential bases of energy for local and industrialized use. In the current work, four energy sources are synchronized in parallel to fulfil the energy demands: biogas (BG), the grid-tie solar system (GTSS), the water and power development authority (WAPDA) and diesel generators (DGs). This article describes a cost and energy analysis of the GTSS with two other energy resources and finds that the output of the GTSS is more efficient. At present, 406-kW solar panels are connected at the University of Lahore, Pakistan; this system consists of 19 on-grid inverters, each of which has a power capacity of 20 kVA, but this system is not working efficiently. Many solar systems in Pakistan also fail to produce the required output power, and Pakistan is currently facing a severe energy shortage. To overcome the energy shortfall, the results show that Pakistan should upgrade its energy system through solar thermal units. In this article, we compare the GTSS with two other energy sources and find that the GTSS is more economical and environmentally friendly. The billing cost comparison shows that solar energy has a lower unit cost than other energy resources and is a renewable source of energy with many advantages. If the installed GTSS continues to produce 60% of its total power, assuming 7 working hours per day, then the system will be able to return its capital cost in 6.9 years and save a total of $1,020,819.83. Our results are discussed considering the quality of the product, the required standard manpower for installation, the geographical location of the system and other parameters that affect the solar energy output.

3-D numerical modelling of groundwater flow for scenario-based analysis and management

In recent years, extensive competition for groundwater use among different consumers has exploited major freshwater aquifers in Pakistan. There is an urgent need for appraisal of this precious resource followed by some mitigation strategies. This modelling study was conducted in the mixed cropping zone of the Punjab, Pakistan. Both remote sensing and secondary data were utilized to achieve objectives of this study. The data related to piezometric water levels, canal gauges, well logs, meteorological and lithological information were collected from Punjab Irrigation Department (PID), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Groundwater flow models for both steady and transient conditions were set-up using FEFLOW-3D. Water balance components and recharge were estimated using empirical relations and inverse modelling approaches. Both manual and automated approaches were utilized to calibrate the models. Moreover, sensitivity analysis was performed to see the response of model output against different model input parameters. Followed by calibration and validation, the model was run for different management scenarios, including lining of canal sections, minimization of field percolation, and change of groundwater abstraction. The study results show a drop in groundwater levels for almost all scenarios. The highest negative change was observed for the 4th scenario (i.e. 25% increase in groundwater pumping over a 10-year period), with a value of 3.73 m, by ignoring very wet summer and winter seasons. For normal weather conditions, the highest negative change was observed for the 4th scenario with a value of 2.91 m followed by 2.68 m for the 3rd scenario (i.e. 50% reduction in canal seepage and field percolation over a 10-year period). For very wet summer and winter seasons, only one positive change was observed, for the 5th scenario (i.e. 25% decrease in groundwater pumping during 10 years period), with a value of 1.17 m. The changes for all other scenarios were negative. The mitigation strategy may include less groundwater pumping, by supporting cultivation of low delta crops and adjusting cropping patterns considering canal water supplies. It is further suggested to support current modelling results by incorporating more detailed information on cropping and by exploring the effect of climate change.

Analysis of Current and Future Water Demands in the Upper Indus Basin under IPCC Climate and Socio-Economic Scenarios Using a Hydro-Economic WEAP Model

Pakistan is currently facing physical and economic water scarcity issues that are further complicated by the rapid increase in its population and by climate change. Many studies have focused on the physical water scarcity using hydrological modeling and the measurement of the impact of climate change on water resources in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). However, few studies have concentrated on the importance of the economic water scarcity, that is, the water management issue under the looming impacts of climate change and the population explosion of Pakistan. The purpose of this study is to develop a management strategy which helps to achieve water security and sustainability in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) with the help of different socio-economic and climate change scenarios using WEAP (Water Evaluation and Planning) modeling. The streamflow data of five sub-basins (Gilgit, Hunza, Shigar, Shyok, and Astore) and the entire Upper Indus Basin (UIB) were calibrated (2006–2010) and validated (2011–2014) in the WEAP model. The coefficient of determination and Nash Sutcliffe values for the calibration period ranged from 0.81–0.96. The coefficient of determination and the Nash Sutcliffe values for the validation period ranged from 0.85–0.94. After the development of the WEAP model, the analysis of the unmet water demand and percent coverage of the water demand for the period of 2006–2050 was computed. Different scenarios were generated for external driving factors (population growth, urbanization, and living standards) and the impact of climate change to evaluate their effect on the current water supply system. The results indicated that the future unmet water demand is likely to reach 134 million cubic meters (mcm) by the year 2050 and that the external driving factors are putting more pressure on the supply service. This study further explores the importance of proposed dams (likely to be built until 2025) by WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority). These dams will decrease the unmet water demand by 60% in the catchment. The water demands under four scenarios (the reference, moderate future-1, moderate future-2, and management scenarios) were compared. The management scenario analysis revealed that 80% of the water demand coverage could be achieved by the year 2023, which could help in developing sustainable water governance for the catchment.

Performance evaluation of energy meters under nonlinear loads

Due to rapid advancements in power electronics, the utilization of electronically switched loads and nonlinear loads is increasing gradually in the electrical power system. These loads create problems of measuring instruments, when connected to the power distribution systems. In this paper, an experimental investigation has been carried out to analyze the performance of single-phase watt-hour (induction and electronic types) energy meters that are being used in Pakistan. The accuracy of the energy meters has been tested under different household nonlinear loads, at various power factors and also at different supply voltage levels. Power factor and total harmonic distortion (THD) of different household loads are also recorded in the experimental work. A hardware based experimental setup has been designed to perform the experimental work. The experimental results have been compared to Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) standards for energy meters.

Restructuring of WAPDA: A Reality or a Myth

Serious financial crisis in Pakistan energy sector, mainly due to poor governance, rising fuel prices and rampant corruption, led to the decision of corporatisation of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in 1992. However, this decision has been highly debated in the context of its socio economic benefits as the energy crises continues unabated. This study, by using semi-structured interview from energy experts in the power sector, attempts to find the factors that withheld the positive effects of this decision. The objective is to provide useful input to frame future energy policy to overcome critical energy crises in Pakistan. The study concludes that the decision of corporatisation of WAPDA was a forced decision without proper homework recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which worked as an obstacle to achieve required targets in context of energy crises. However, expert opinion shows that unbundling of WAPDA if managed adequately in line with the ground realities would help bring in the competition in market and support the neoliberal theory which calls for deregulation of businesses and privatisation of publicly owned assets, thus minimising the state intervention. Therefore, the only choice for the government is to move forward with the reforms to frame efficient and effective power policy. Chile, with successful power reforms, is the example quoted by the experts to be followed by Pakistan to overcome load shedding and black outs. JEL Classification: H7 Keywords: Energy, Pakistan Energy Sector, WAPDA, Neoclassical Theory, Corporatisation, Privatisation, Restructuring, Governance

Focus: Privatisation of electricity is against the public interest

INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 13 Volume 22 Issue 2 2015 Privatisation of electricity is against the public interest T he present Government of Pakistan has announced plans to privatise 37 public enterprises at the behest of the World Bank, including Electricity, Railways, Port Trusts, Civil Aviation, Oil and Gas, PIA, National Bank and other public enterprises. The working class of Pakistan has been making a concerted struggle by holding protest rallies and marches to impress upon the present Government the need for Social Dialogue with the trade unions, since the workers are essential stakeholders, instead of going ahead with a privatisation of public utilities while unilaterally ignoring the public interest. The Electricity system in Pakistan is run by State owned companies - General, Transmission and Distribution – which provide electricity to more than 22 million industrial, agricultural, commercial, and domestic consumers all over the country. The trade union representatives of electricity workers, namely the All Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Hydro Electric Workers’ Union, which has more than 140,000 members across Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, as well as Water Dams, have been urging the Government to accept that the proposed privatisation would be against the public interest since the privatisation of electricity in the Rawalpindi and Multan metropolitan areas and major cities failed miserably because those companies were not ready to provide electricity to consumer areas - even those in urban areas – that were not profitable to them. Therefore, the Federal Government had to take over those companies in the public interest, following the persistent demand of the general public. Reluctantly, the WAPDA public utility was able to supply electricity to all of the cities and also to more than half a million villages in the rural areas. The privatisation of Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) has also failed miserably. The KESC, despite receiving electricity from the national grid of WAPDA, at a rate of 650 mw daily, at very cheap rates, has neither raised a generation of its own thermal power houses nor has it built any new power house to overcome load shedding – as was required under its agreement with the Government. The company has also been receiving a subsidy of millions of rupees from the Government every year. Despite receiving electricity at reduced rates from the national grid – and a subsidy from the Government – the company has not reduced the rate of electricity. The trade union representatives have been urging the Government that administrative reforms should be introduced in the electricity sector in order to overcome its mismanagement. But the Government has handed control of electricity from WAPDA to 15 companies, whose administration has been handed out to private members of the Board of Directors appointed on a political basis. There has not been any investment in these companies . These political appointees are responsible for the mismanagement. The trade unions have demanded that the Government should review this structure because it has not only raised mismanagement but has also raised administrative costs as the electricity system has been divided into 15 companies with huge numbers of officials whereas companies all over the world are being amalgamated and merged to reduce administrative costs. The experience of private independent power thermal generation has also proven to be a failure, because thermal power station are being run by furnace oil. The private thermal stations have raised the cost of electricity compared to thermal power stations in the public sector. The revenue of State owned distribution companies is being eaten away by these private thermal power houses and rental power houses. Had the Government invested in building new power stations in the public sector the high cost of electricity and load shedding would have been averted. The workers have also highlighted that cheaper electricity is a basic need for the development of national industries, agriculture and commerce. Therefore, the Government, instead of following the conditionalities of the World Bank and IMF, should place the matter before the national Parliament and the Senate of Pakistan to discuss all of the pros and cons in the public interest. All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers’ Union has been observing protest days and holding rallies all over the country. More than twenty thousand workers gathered...

Regionalization of hydrologic parameters of Nash mode

hydrologic models are important tools to estimate runoff from a catchment. Identification of broad based parameters of a hydrologic model for development of direct runoff hydrograph is a key issue for the modelers. Optimization and regionalization of hydrologic parameters for application of Nash’s model is investigated in this paper. Six catchments dominated by hill torrent flows were selected for this purpose. Fifty seven rainfall events were used for regionalization of parameters and about 55 events were used for validation of the results. The hydrologic parameters of the Nash Model, number of linear cascades (N) and storage coefficient (k) were determined using optimization based upon Downhill Simplex method. The data was collected by field measurements and from Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Pakistan. The physical parameters of the catchments were derived from the satellite images of the watersheds with the help of ERDAS software. The performance of the model was assessed by the model efficiency. It is concluded that the conceptual Nash model can simulate direct runoff hydrograph using regional hydrologic parameters with model efficiency of 67%.

Global Power Company, Pakistan

As of 14 December 2004, Tariq Ali, CEO, Global Power Company, had successfully completed negotiations with his primary customer, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), and the Federal Government. The negotiation process was almost complete and required the final approval from the newly established regulator, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA). It was on 9 March 2005, that Mr Ali made his first presentation to the regulator and within three months’ time heard the disappointing news of NEPRA's unilateral changes to the terms of agreement. The regulator's verdict had left Mr Ali with two choices; to restart negotiations with NEPRA or to go to court.