ISLAMABAD – Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has awarded contract worth Rs21.534 billion for installation of telemetry system at 27 key points on Indus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) for real-time discharge monitoring.
The contract has been awarded to a Joint Venture (JV) comprising CDigital and HBCC along with Siemens as sub-contractor in the JV. As per the contract, the telemetry system, after the installation, will be commissioned in December 2026.
Chief Engineer and Project Director Indus Telemetry Project Waseem Ali and Chief Executive Officer CDigital, Muhammad Ahsan Bashir signed the agreement on behalf of WADA and the JV respectively in a ceremony held yesterday. Member IRSA (Punjab), WAPDA’s Member (Finance), Member (Water), Member (Power), General Manager (Hydro Resource Management) and representatives of 45 Engineering Division, the consultants and the contractors also attended the ceremony.
Currently, the Indus Basin’s irrigation water management system operates on manual procedures. Decisions regarding water distribution rely on manual calculations at barrages and information obtained through traditional means like phone or fax. The absence of automated monitoring systems has led to a situation where gate positions are unknown, causing control issues for Provincial Irrigation Departments and potential inter-provincial disputes.
To address these challenges, IRSA plans to install state-of-the-art telemetry equipment at 27 key locations. The project aims to eliminate mistrust, harmonize provincial relationships, and ensure compliance with the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991.
It is worth to note that in 2018, the cost of the seven telemetry system installation was Rs 2.4 billion (Rs 343 million for one unit), however, in the revised PC-1, approved by the CDWP in February 2024, the cost has climbed to Rs 23.834 billion or Rs 882 million per unit. The project is under the ownership of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), with execution responsibilities given to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). After a two-year post-completion period, IRSA will take over the operation and maintenance of this transformative venture.
