KWSB launches crackdown against defaulters

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

 

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has launched a crackdown against defaulting domestic water consumers who were earlier served final disconnection noticed and severed 116 connections in the city’s different areas on November 26.

 

However, a team of KWSB’s revenue collection was attacked by some mischievous elements who opened fire at them in Federal-B-Area and A FIR has been filed against them, the KWSB said.

 

Deputy Managing Director Revenue, Mohammed Aslam Khan disclosed that some 17 billion rupees are outstanding against water consumers and a recovery campaign has been launched on the directives of the KWCB Chairman, Mohammed Sajid Jokhio, and Managing Director, Qutbuddin Shaikh.

 

Out of 116 connections severed, 21 were disconnected in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, 18 in Jamshed Town, 17 in North Nazimabad, 15 in Federal-B-Area, in Orangi, nine each in SITE and Saddar, seven in Korangi, four in Landhi, three in Bin Qasim and two in Lyari.  

 

Karachi facing water shortage due to power cuts

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi is experiencing a water shortage of about 20 mgd daily and by the fifth day it had reached the shortage level of 90 mgd because of the shortage of power supply to its pumping stations.

“The Water Board is unable to supply 650 mgd water which has by now come down to 450 mgd,” a spokesman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) disclosed, adding that a water crisis had developed in all areas of the city because power cut by the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).

The KWSB has now enforced rotated water supply system and there had been shut down of water in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on November 25.

There will be no water supply to PAF Masroor, Baldia, Sher Shah, Pak Colony, Old Golimar, Nazimabad and SITE from 8 pm on November 26 for next the 24 hours, a KWSB announcement said.

It had already been warned the disconnection of power supply to the pumping stations of the KWSB could cause a severe crisis situation.

The KWSB, a public utility organization, has been supplying water on a very nominal rate on no profit no loss basis, despite the rate of recovery being on the lower side.

NED University’s Petroleum Engineering department attains global recognition

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Texas-based Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has declared the Petroleum Engineering Department of the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, as an outstanding chapter of the year 2013.

The NED University’s SPE student chapter has received the Outstanding Chapter Award (OCA) for the second time. The chapter has distinguished itself as one of the top seven distinguished SPE chapters around the globe.  

The other OCA recipients for 2013 are the University of Lagos, the Malaysia University of Technology, the University of Aberdeen, the Universidade Estadual Do Norte Fluminense, Darcy Riberio, the University of Tulsa and Tyumen State Oil & Gas University.

The Exclusive SPE student chapter of Pakistan has received all the three prestigious awards including chapter of the month and the Gold Standard status besides the OCA in the SPE Middle East North Africa and India region.

After receiving these prestigious awards in 2011, the chapter has been crowned once again with the OCA for the year 2013 through assessment of its programmes, activities, and levels of participation during a single academic year in respect to over 200 other chapters worldwide.

The SPE Student Chapter team of Petroleum Engineering Department enjoys the pride and honour to raise the flag of Pakistan in the whole region and to have brought laurels to the university and the department through this regional and international recognition.

The SPE, founded in 1957 as a constituent society of the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME), is acclaimed as one of the largest individual-member organization serving managers, engineers, scientists and other professionals worldwide in the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry. It had become a separately incorporated organization in 1985.

The Oil and Gas Committee of AIME had evolved into the Petroleum Division of AIME as membership grew and as interest among the members was more clearly delineated among the mining, metallurgical, and petroleum specializations.

The SPE has reached its highest number of members in its history, partly due to the high growth rate in the number of student members and chapters. It continues its constant search for new ways to meet member needs in all phases of their careers in all parts of the world.

Meanwhile Prof Dr Muhammad Afzal Haque, Vice Chancellor, NED University of Engineering and Technology, and Prof Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, Dean, CEA, have congratulated the Department of Petroleum Engineering, headed by its chairman Prof Dr Abid Murtaza Khan, on their accomplishments.

KWSB urge KESC to restore power supply to pumping stations

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi faced a shortage of 120 mgd in the supplies made to the city following the disconnection of power supply to the pumping stations of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the situation could go from bad to worse if the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) remained adamant in restoring electricity to pumping stations.

 “There is every possibility that a severe crisis situation may arise in the city due to water shortage as a result of KESC’s action,” Qutbuddin Shaikh. Managing Director, (KWSB), warned.

He said that schedule of water supply was badly affected due to shut down of power supply to pumping stations and if this continues, a volatile situation among citizens may erupt and particularly during the weekend when water consumption increases.

He pointed out that the KWSB was already faced with water shortage but KESC’s such behaviour could further worsen the situation making it difficult to maintain equitable supply of water.

Qutbuddin Shaikh reminded that the KWSB is a public utility organization which has been supplying water on a very nominal rate on no profit no loss basis.

He said although there is very low rate of recovery, still the KWSB was supplying water notwithstanding its limitations and KESC should keep the interest of people in view.

He said that the KESC should approach the Provincial and Federal Governments for settlement of its dues instead of punishing the citizens. He hoped that the KESC will make contact at government level instead of resorting to an extreme action.

Reiterating the caution that the water supply shortage can even result in a law and order situation, the KWSB Managing Director elaborated that it takes more time in restoring water supply than the shut down hours and as a result the water supply schedule gets badly affected.

First phase of SSUET Admission process completed

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The first phase of ongoing 2014 admission process at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, has been completed with the expiry of the deadline for the last date for submission of admission forms for various engineering disciplines.

The second phase will envisage holding of written test on November 24 to be held at Expo Center and display of lists of successful admission seekers thereafter. Over 5000 will be appearing in the test.

The university is offering admissions to Computer, Electronics, Civil, Telecommunication and Bio-Medical Engineering besides Computer Science. This year around 25-30 percent more admission forms have been submitted as compared to last year.

During academic session 2014, the SSUET is introducing three new programs of Architecture, Bio-Informatics and Software engineering. This would bring the total number of faculties at SSUET to nine.

The ongoing admission process was reviewed at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chancellor SSUET Engr Mohammed Adil Usman and attended, among others, by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid Hasan Rizvi and Registrar Syed Abrar Ali.

He directed that while granting admissions, high priority should be given to merit and transparency. He reiterated that holding of entry test on November 24 should be ensured in a peaceful environment.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jawaid Hassan Rizvi is personally monitoring the entire admission process to ensure merit.

Maqsood-un-Nabi takes over as new Railways DS Karachi

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Maqsood-un-Nabi, an officer of the railway group, has been transferred from the Pakistan Railways Headquarters, Lahore, and posted as the Divisional Superintendent of the Karachi Division.

Before the new assignment, Maqsood-un-Nabi was working as the Chief Operating Superintendent at the Railway HQ Lahore and he now replaces Mahmood Lashari who, on transfer, has been posted as Director General Vigilance at the Railway HQ.

Earlier Maqsood-un-Nabi had served as the Chief Commercial Manager at Lahore and besides also having worked as the Deputy DS Railway at Karachi. He brings with him very rich experience in the field of railway operation as well as commercial sector.

“My main focus will be on punctuality of trains and passenger facilitation,” the DS Railways said in an interview adding that since he took over the punctuality rate went up from previous low of 73 percent to 87 percent at present and it will improve further in coming days with the kind of measures being taken by him.

He said that he had taken up the management sector as a challenge for himself and issued directives to divisional managers to bring improvement in their managerial skills to achieve the desired targets set for them which include punctuality of train operation, public facilitation and most important revenue generation.

Maqsood-un-Nabi remarked that back marketing of tickets has been controller by 99 percent and severe action taken against those involved in the menacing practices. He said that he has the full cooperation of SP Railway Police and Divisional Commercial Officer and black sheep in the force are being screened out.

The DS Railway added that he had also taken up the issue of railway’s land  grabbing and in his very first meeting with divisional officers he issued directive for developing a system to have immediate information about any case of land grabbing and initiation of immediate action by the anti-encroachment cell which too has been activated.

Under public facilitation program, he said, passengers going for upcountry dest inations are informed about delays in departure of trains through mobile phone messaging so that they may not have to face any inconvenience by reaching the station on time.

Similarly cleaning coaches of trains leaving for upcountry destinations is being ensured particularly with emphasis on water and power supply. He said he had issued strict instruction that there should not be repetition of any problem once identified.

He said that on his directive a railway is deputed at Cantonment Station who would check the trains and submit report about any event taking place during his duty hour.

SSUET extends date for submission of Admission Forms until November 18

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, has extended the last date for submission of admission forms until November 18.

The deadline for submission of forms was expiring on November 11 but in view of the rush of the admission seekers, the university extended the date by a week to accommodate them.

There, however, is no change in the date of aptitude test which is scheduled to be held on November 24. It has been emphasized that the admissions will be strictly on merit giving weightage to marks obtained in Matric (SSC), Intermediate (HSC) and aptitude test.

This year there has been an all time high number of students seeking to get admission in engineering disciplines of Computer, Electronics, Civil, Bio-Medical, Telecommunication besides Computer Science with more than 30 percent increase reported in the number of admission seekers as compared to last year. 

The SSUET has over 5500 students on its roll studying in the engineering disciplines of Computer, Electronics, Bio-Medical, Civil and Telecommunication besides Computer Science. The university is already offering post-graduate programs at Master and Ph.D levels besides robust continuous education program in the evening.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has granted highest "W4" ranking to the University while graded as 5-star University by the Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee of Sindh Government. The ISO 9001 certified, SSUET is a member of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and International Association of Universities (IAU), UNESCO, Paris.

More students submit admissions forms at SSUET as November 11 deadline nears

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

With less than a week left for the deadline of submission of applications for admission to various engineering disciplines being offered at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), there is greater rush at the counters set up for the purpose.

The university has fixed November 11 as the last date for submission of admission forms while the aptitude test will be held on November 24.

This year there has been an all time high number of students seeking to get admission in engineering disciplines of Computer, Electronics, Civil, Bio-Medical, Telecommunication besides Computer Science and already there has been a 25-30 percent increase in the number of admission seekers as compared to last year. 

From the new academic session 2014, the University is offering new programmes of Architecture, Software Engineering and Bio-Informatics. However, this will be subject to approval from accreditation bodies.

Keeping the ever growing number of admission seekers and seats limitations in view, the university has chalked out an expansion program whereby a new block to provide more class rooms and laboratories is being constructed to fulfill the PEC laid criteria.

 The university is also exploring the possibility of introducing some more BS program and research institutes. The university has allocated limited seats on merit for the wards of overseas Pakistanis.

The SSUET has over 5500 students on its roll studying in the engineering disciplines of Computer, Electronics, Bio-Medical, Civil and Telecommunication besides Computer Science. The university is already offering post-graduate programs at Master and Ph.D levels besides robust continuous education program in the evening.

It may be mentioned here that Higher Education Commission has granted highest "W4" ranking to the University while graded as 5-star University by the Charter Inspection and Evaluation Committee of Sindh Government.

The ISO 9001 certified, SSUET is a member of Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and International Association of Universities (IAU), UNESCO, Paris. The university has announced that the admissions will be strictly on merit giving weightage to marks obtained in Matric (SSC), Intermediate (HSC) and Aptitude test.

Chancellor Adil Usman lays foundation stone of new academic block at SSUET

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The construction of a new academic block at the Sir Syed University of Engineering & Technology (SSUET), Karachi, got underway with the laying of foundation stone and unveiling of the plaque by its Chancellor Engr Mohammad Adil Usman. The block has been named after the university’s first Chancellor, Engr Z A Nizami, who expired earlier this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Engr Adil Usman described the development of the Engr Z A Nizami Block as a matter of commitment and values and said it is being constructed in recognition of the remarkable services rendered by late Chancellor for the cause of engineering education and in pursuing the mission of great reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

“Our all out focus is to make the university a centre of excellence and distinction and this new block will serve in fulfilling the cherished objectives,” he stated.

Chancellor Adil Usman was of the view that our commitment to this institution is not simply a matter of creating modern facilities for students or developing a brigade of teachers, but also elevate it to a position serving as a national asset in the field of modern engineering education..

“This objective will be achieved through an ambitious programme of raising truly professional teachers by way of attracting talented candidates, sharing best practices, introducing curricular innovations and above all providing most modern training facilities.

The new block is to be constructed on an area of 43,961 square feet and will have state of the art laboratories of geology, surveying, environment, geo-informatics, simulation, antenna engineering and transmission switching besides 16 spacious class rooms.