Lt General Muzammil Hussain (Retd), CHAIRMAN (WAPDA)
Daily Pakistan Observer interviewed him to learn about his contribution in bringing back the past glory of WAPDA and it is being presented for the readers in the form of questions and answers.
PO: What are your achievements as Chairman WAPDA from the year 2016 onward after taking the charge of this office?
CW:The base of whatever we developed in WAPDA was provided by our predecessors and as per history of WAPDA it played a core fundamental role in development of Pakistan. After its inception in 1958, WAPDA has played a very vital role by completing many mega projects in Pakistan including the Tarbella and Mangla Dams and many other small projects like various barrages, link canals and water related projects.
In 2016 I was nominated as the chairman WAPDA then I got a chance to look at various things to ensure as to how are Pakistan’s development mechanism get promptly undergo. I also accepted the basic challenge of economic development of the state and started my work as the Chairman WAPDA. After the 80s in 90s dilution of WADPA started and subsequently WAPDA was unbundled. To every government, a key area for development was water. Because we are an agrarian society and we need cheap energy. With the passage of time the water crisis has deepened and the population increased. Our focus was shifted from hydal to thermal in the energy sector which has subsequently also increased the electricity rates.
When I took over as the Chairman WAPDA, I also picked the best possible people from the market and capacity building was done of the peoples already working with WAPDA through proper training and other methods.
Due to this capacity building and steps we have been able to complete four major projects which were lying pending for years including the NeelamJehlum, Tarbela-IV, GolenGole and 353 Km long Kachi canal in Balochistan. During this,both the governments and peoples have also duly supported us. My team has performed extremely well and we have developed a detailed engineering design of Mohmand Dam, its purchase was made and its contracts have been mobilized and currently work on the project is duly underway. A super mega project of the Diamer Bhasha Dam, has been started after passing through all preliminary phases. Work on the Dasu, was halted due to non-availability of land but we have now reinitiated the project. Overall, we are therefore satisfied that we have completed some projects and initiated others also and credit for this must also go to my team.
PO:Pakistan is currently facing a very severe water crisis, let’s suppose India stops water from its western side, how much are we in position to tackle this situation?
CW:Look at it is an evolving phenomena, had we not prepared ourselves regarding the water crisis during the last four years we would have then entered into a very alarming situation.
There are two types of challenges and one major challenge is internal policy making, regulation mechanism, priorities regarding allocation of funds and developing institutions working on water was our discretion. In the past but it was not our priority that was the reason that projects like Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand were started with the delay of 50 years, these are two big projects and which among other little project like Nloang, Tangi,
We will be able to store 11 million acre feet of water after completion of these projects within the coming seven to eight years. And secondly we will also be able to produce 10000 MW cheap electricity.
PO: In the past WAPDA did projects like Terbella and Mangla in the 60s but they were completed within a given time frame and cost, but today every project of WAPDA was being overrun time and cost wise, what are the reasons behind it?.
CW: Financial allocation mechanism is the basic reason when you conceive a project and if its cash flows were interrupted then it will be time overrun. When a project is time wise overrun it will be automatically cost overrun. Our cash flows are not smooth. Second thing is good governance. Land acquisition is an important factor in any Dam project if you are facing problems in land acquisition then your project will be time overrun. Project forecast would also be very accurate.
PO: What kinds of effects can be expected with the execution of DiamerBhasha Dam on electricity, economy and water storage?
CW: Phenomenal impacts of Bhasha DAM have been started from right now even, for example 16000 to 17000 people will get jobs, heavy amounts of steel and cement will be consumed and industry will see impact. Rs. 170 billion are being spent for community development. 180 Km road would be constructed in the area on the other side of river Indus and 11 valleys which were disconnected now would be connected with Gilgit and Rawalpindi.
With water storage 2 million acres land would be irrigated and apart from that 4500 MW cheap electricity will be generated. Because of this project life of Tarbella Dam will be enhanced to 35 years.
PO: Our transmission system would be capable of distributing the power generated by DiamerBhasha?
CW: Its transmission plan would be connected to Rawalpindi and then to Naran Valley and then come to Islamabad. Dasu and Bhasha will be interconnected.
NTDC and the Ministry of Power have the plan to upgrade the distribution system during the next five to ten years.
PO: Floods every year play havoc in Pakistan and cause loss of billions of rupees, how can we reduce these losses?
CW: Dams have their role apart from power generation and water storage. Now we are building Mohamand Dam currently when the Kabul River and Swat River meet near Charsada or Mardan, the whole valley is flooded. When you store 1.2 million water near Swat chances of flood will be ended likewise all floods in Sindh and Punjab can be controlled by building more Dams. The second reason is that by storing water you can avail the water whenever you need it. Since we have a heavy amount of water only for three months. These dams will ensure water for Southern Punjab, Sindh and also other parts of the country.
PO: Is it correct that DiamerBhasha is being built on a fault line and earthquakes can harm it?
CW: All dams are constructed in mountains since dams cannot be constructed in the plains, Mangla Dam is three Km away from the fault line, Tarbella is right on zero line and Diamer is 13 to 15 Km away from fault line. Its impact studies were conducted by foreign experts and they have all declared this site as suitable for the dam.
PO: Heavy funding would be required for Mohmand and Bhasha dams, how would you arrange this?
CW: We have improved our financial capacity by completing certain projects like Neelum Jhelum Tarbella 4 and Golengole. When we enhanced our capacity and when capacity was upgraded by WAPDA at became the first ever public sector company in Pakistan which got its evaluation conducted by three foreign companies and they all have declared us stable. We are getting 25 percent support from the government to do these projects. In our financial model our WAPDA’s equity was also included, commercial finances, domestic and internationals were also there.
PROFILE
Lt General MuzammilHussain (Retd), HI (Mil) is a soldier, who turned around WAPDA into a profitable and recognised entity not only in Pakistan but at International level also. Due to his vision and acumen, WAPDA is passing through its golden days for the last four years. Prior to this, WAPDA could manage to take its hydel power generation to 6,919 MW in 59 years since its inception from the year 1958 to 2017. But with commissioning of three long-delayed hydropower projects with cumulative capacity of 2,487 MW, the installed generation capacity of WAPDA hydroelectric power has surged to 9,406 MW from 6,919 MW, registering an increase of 36% in just one year and this being the tenure of current Chairman WAPDA Lt General MuzammilHussain (Retd).
Because of this unprecedented growth of hydel generation in 2018, Pakistan was ranked 3rd in the world for newly installed hydropower capacity by International Hydropower Association (IHA) formed under the auspices of UNESCO in 1995, as a forum to promote and disseminate good practice about hydropower. It is, indeed, a matter of pride and privilege for the country.
Lt General Muzammil, joined The Army in 1976 and graduated with distinction from PMA. Underwent his grooming in an Infantry Battalion and as employed on exalted positions including his tenure in Interior Sindh on anti-dacoit operations of 92, Gulf War 1 in Saudi Arabia, and courses in France and Indonesia.
Commanded most prestigious FCNA Division in GilgitBaltistan and 30 Corps Gujranwala.
He later assumed the office of Chairman, Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) on 24 August 2016. He has successfully commissioned:
Kachhi Canal Project (Phase-I)
The 108 MW-GolenGol Hydropower Project
The 1410 MW- Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project
The strategically important 969 MW-Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project
Lt Gen MuzammilHussain (Retd) initiated construction work on:
The DiamerBasha Dam
The Mohmand Dam Project
The KurramTangi Dam Project (Stage-I)
It is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan that two mega dams – Mohmand and DiamerBasha Dam – have been started in a short span of just one year. The two dams are destined to change the fate of the Nation.
He has also successfully realigned:
The stalled Dasu Hydropower Project (Stage-I) Naulong Dam Project located in Balochistan.
