The Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) owing to its lackluster approach towards matters of civic and municipal importance has failed to keep running the solar power plant, a gift from the Chinese government installed on 2.5-hectares of the 750-acre F-9 Park.
With a capacity of 870 kilowatts of electricity, the solar plant was installed in 2016 with much fanfare as it was claimed that the park’s electricity woes had been resolved once for all as 870 kilowatts electricity is enough to power 450 homes.
In the beginning, the solar installation—3,400 plates—started providing uninterrupted power supply to the F-9 Park’s water pumps, sprinkling systems and the offices of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) and Capital Development Authority (CDA), both located within the park premises.
However, it could work only for two years and in 2018 the plant, owing to the E&M Wing’s rather CDA’s lack of oversight, closed down and since then it is lying dead and dysfunctional.
The plant is a huge one and so it needs huge batteries which could keep it running, said a deputy director of the CDA requesting anonymity. Our E&M Wing is on it and soon it will start working, he said, however, he failed to answer why for the last seven years the CDA did not try to make it functional even for once.
Like its attitude towards the solar plant, the CDA’s office in the F-9 Park is also an example of typical neglect and indifference which are the hallmarks of our government offices. One Deputy Director was sitting in another’s room while most of the officers were either “out of the office or on leave.” Those present were watching social media on their smartphones or gossiping. The F-9 Park’s administrator’s office too was crowded with friends and time-killers. The initiative, financed with a grant from China, used batteries to store solar energy to meet lighting and other electricity needs 24 hours a day.
“The batteries are very costly and need hundreds and thousands of rupees and we cannot afford it,” said a Deputy Director. Meanwhile, sources in the CDA admitted the authority high-ups had no idea about the presence of the solar power plant donated by China. We have reminded them time and again to approve sending a team and change the batteries but they have not signed.
A retired officer of the CDA said it was because for the last few years, the responsibilities of the CDA Chairman and the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad have been designated to one senior government official.
As a result of the dual charge, the poor officer fails to focus on either of the two and cannot do justice. CDA itself is a huge entity with tentacles spreading all over the urban and rural areas of Islamabad. It is not humanly possible for the head of the district administration (Chief Commissioner) to perform as Chairman of the CDA and thus such administrative and civil chaos keep recurring and there is no one at the top position to nudge the authority’s directorates to pay attention to them, said the retired employee.
The solar power plant is important not only because it provides electricity to the entire park and the buildings/offices inside it, it also reflects the strong bond of friendship with China.
