04-My Half Century

7/31/2019 04-My Half Century

1/8

Sheet 1 of 8

107885161.xlsx.ms_office.xls

30-Aug-12

11:42 AM

ENGINEERING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE Original Date:August 14, 2011 V 2.16 File: 04-My half century.xlsx

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N

1-BEFORE YOU READ ON

Opinions expressed about persons, institutions and organisations in the following and preceeding

pages are my own and may not be based on objective data. Mostly the right data may be not

accessible to me. But the life-long contact with them makes me intuitively well placed to

express those opinions.

Original draft of this chapter contained multiple quotes from Urdu and Persian poetry of Iqball and other classical poets.

My bent of mind towards poetry and sentimental writing was very compelling. But in the final draft, I discarded all but

three poetic references. That should make it easier for the readers, who like plain venila compositions.

2-DESIDERATA

I found a hand written plaque in the house of My high school teacher Mr. Mohammad Shahbaz Cheema, when I visited his family to condole

his death. He was in mid fifties when he got a stroke. Latter I would find the same in an issue of the Readers' Digest Megazine, attributed to findsin Saint Paul's Church. But from the internet link http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm I found that the history of this

document is confused and that it's actual author was Max Ehrmann in 1920. I here apeal to my readers with a quote from it:".And listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; They too have their story.". My story appears in the following pages and I hope it

will motivate some young engineers. But why not read the DESIDERATA FIRST as it is copied from the above link:

The little storys of my professional life are stated here as a motivation. But in any case they serve for my catharsis. I quote from above

DESIDERATA, the following lines:

And if you don't want to read, you can skip the rest of this chapter. Please note it is neithermandatory norrequired to use the

contents of this book. As for myself, I continue my naration:

3-BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET-My story in retorespect

A little more than four years have gone by and have already written a few

workbooks. I had written a few memories as well, because they have a

significance in my professional life.

Right at the time of admission to the engineering college, I was planning to join

private industry. I have written about an other motivation in the opening para of02-By Way of Nostalgia.xlsx. In that file, I have provided a copy of my

appointment and retirement letters. So from Sep. 20, 1959 to July 31, 2007

makes about 48 years. I call it a half century. The purpose of this chapter is

to highlight some items of my professional development that were made

despite and inspite of very discouraging and demoralising environment.

They say it is not good to blow your own trumpet. But the question is who else

will? In fact the one thing that was so obvious in my carrier is lack of protest

or what I call,"SINE WAVE SYNDROME" of the management towards

recognition of my achievements and a just financial returns. The companywould use my qualifications and skill to their advantage whenever they felt like

and would discourage me when it came to giving me facilities. And I never

thought it imporatnt to highlight my skill or knowledge and demand a good

return. I always took a back seat when things went against me and many

times my company had to bring me to forefront just because it was needed by

them. It was a barberous act by them. My story would never be known, If I don't

tell it. So I decided to blow my own trumpet. It might not be interseting to the

reader but will deffinitely do kathasis for myself.

This chapter will, I hope describe the history of My Transmission Line experience". luckily I entred the profession at the right moment.

Most of the development of this technology happened in that peroid. I don't have much documentory back-up at hand. At my age

memory starts deteriorating, though in my case things have just stuck in my mind and do not seem to die away. Even now in my dreams,

I see myself buisy in doing my professional duties as if I was still employed. My loyalty to the profession compels me to write on.

Events described may not be strictly in a chronological order but the underlying thoghts are true.

4-2 B OR NOT 2 B-THATS THE QUESTION

This heading may be misleading. But it tells the reason d'etre of this chapter. Before I started writing this book, I meditated a lot as to

the contents. The idea did occur to me that by sharing my stories, I might be exposed to judgements. People might find out that

my status in the company was not as percieved by my colleagues in other organisations including the client and suppliers. My company

had gone to great length to convince our clients and the consultants that I was the one and only in this profession. Well I never took

refuge in my popularity. I always did my job in a professional way, harnessing new technologywhenever possible but using what was

available at any time. Thus my work has always improved, when new technology became known to me. I was never afraid of admitting

if I did something that latter on seemd wrong. It was RIGHT at the time that I did it. And as the nursery rhyme goes:

Good, better, Best

Never let it rest

Till your Good is Better

and your Better Best!

Myhalf centuryofTransmission Line

Engineering 05
http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htmhttp://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm


2/8

Sheet 2 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM




Engineering 05

Please do not expect this book to be a "High class" academics as my friends at LUMS and FAST expect. These professors would

expect high sounding algoritms and Object Oriented Programming or use of Visual Basic in the design of spreadsheets and technology

for the sake of it.

I also considered the possibility that people may not understand my sentiments towards my profession and the company. If I was that

Attached to the company, and if the company was so kind to project my image to the professional circles, why all the complaints?

In fact this love and hate relationship permeated through out my carrier. I worked selflessly, not asking much in exchange. I only

expected some self respect. I was not THAT materialsitic in my approach. If I was doing some important job, I did not attend to my

personal affairs even if it means a loss- material or sentimental. So bare minimum distractions intervened my dedication to work.Company, as a rule would reconsile and replace their hopes on me, whenever there was a job visible with a newer technology. Thinking

their rebounding nature, I did not usually decide to leave the company.

There were not any employer where I could fit in except if I changed my expertise. Even my company at times looked down upon the

role that I was playing. They wanted a direct translation of my activities into money. They knew very well that real design activity was

not a financially viable, unless you also counted the gains in terms of tender awards and fulfilment of the contracts based on this

expertise and the economy resulting due to solutions. In this respect their behavior was like a road-side vendor, who must earn profite on

every item that he sold, and is not worried for an overal good will that would accumulate, if he facilitated the clients on some items.

5-LUCY- A POEM THAT SEEMS STUPID

In our pre-engineering English poetry was also taught. There was a poem, that I did not understand really and thought the poet was a

stupid person. But as I progressed in my carrier and followed an apparently loosing proposition, I was able to appreciate the stupidity

found in the poem and in my carrier. I could not locate my book but the internet search helped me and here I reproduce this poem so

that my readers can appreciate why I stuck to the technology.

It may also be noted that, prior to my coming into profession, there was no real transfer of technology. That is not to say that I did all that.

But certainly I was an agent of change in the field. It was during my professional life that the technology of design of transmission lines

became available.I preserved it also. Others did not. Even my company takes comfort in the list of work done. But do not really posses

the hard core technology. And they don't need it. As the new model is to get the jobs done form outside. Why keep messy cows when

milk is available in the market. That model has encouraged "One man" design companies. But they do not integrate all aspects

of the work. A "company man" is still needed to co-ordinate the work of multiple "one man companies". But no contractor or consultant

wants to support designers and developers in-house. Even if they have some they do not give them their due place. These specialists are

still treated a second class citizens of the profesion.

My company did do their best to give me a respecatble place but at times acted selfishly. As I left the company, I can see they now are

ignoring individuals like me in the next generation. They think that WAPDA and even KESC, now employ consultants and turn-key

contractors are not needed any more. At least in next 5-10 years. But they ignore the fact that they will get a very low quality job in this

business model. So the technology will remain burried in files and will be lost very soon. This is specially so because the immediate

problems are solved the easy way-subletting to outsiders. Unfortunately these "outsiders" are actually "insiders". They belong toclient/consult organisations. They can work for much less fee and it is they who have to approve contractors work, so all they have to do

is to put a stamp of approval on the work done by themselves as "independent" consultants. The "Outsiders" do not think it a question

of ethics. Latter a story will appear on this subject.

Contractors, consultants and clients should place resources in design offices and give some self respect to design engineers including

some lime-light. As the luck would have it, properly trained people are not readily available in the market and in the absence of any

training facilities, self trained designers can only result from a stable employment. If they leave prematurely, they will not find a similar

job and in swtching over, the little skill gathered by them is lost for ever. That is why I decided to include my actual experience even

trivial things in this collection.

I also decided to describe some salient incidences that I met in the process, that on one hand emphasize my desperate efforts to

obtain the knowledge of this field and on the other hand the encouragement provided by my employer. But some times they did have

after thoughts. Then they would pressurise me to make it commercilly viable independent enterprise. Invardly they knew that such a

proposal was not possible. But possibly their tactic was to keep me scared all the times. So their treatment or mistreatment towards

me followed a sine curve. What they ignored was that I was a very committed professional and wanted to stick to this professionat all costs. And my this decision gave them a chance to utilise my improved capabilities, when new opurtunities knocked at their

door-steps. Many offers came my way, and frankly speaking, I did consider one or two that I will mention sometimes latter in this chapter.

But overall, they were the loosers in some regards as a satisfied worker does a better job than a frustrated one. They may have realised,

when last year I was asked by the CEO to do some job for a month in their office and I refused. Naturally, I cannot remain a standby.

I have tried my best to avoid naming individuals in these stories, to avoid embarassement to those persons. But sometimes it was

difficult to avoid it and I tried to use generic designations. But in a small family business, it is tell-tale of the real persons. In multiple

editing sessions, I have been switching my position. But finally I gave in and have included the sine-curve behaviour of my company

(as generically as possible), towards me during my carrier in stories where approperiate. In the final discussion with the CEO as you

will read elsewhere, I had protested loudly and I refused to continue as an advisor to the company in the face of their continued

descrimination over and comparason with my junior colleagues, whom they had been openly criticising for their defficiencies in my

face. But obviously it is an expediancy tool used by CEOs, to take different positions and argue with opposite premesis.


3/8

Sheet 3 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM

ENGINEERING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE Original Date:August 14, 2011 V 2.16 File: 04-My half century.xlsxA B C D E F G H I J K L M N


Engineering 05

Most contractor and client managements are giving the designer a minimal role and dwindling self respect. One reason why WAPDA

could not maintane good design office even uptill now is that they consider design engineers as a liability and not assetts. IN that respect.

Even NESPAK is going down the drain in this respect. All give the designers a show-boy status meant only to improve their brochures

and prequalification documents. Obviously their design have no aesthetics. Only old designs scaled up and a lot of mindless

number-crunching.

6-A TIMELINE IN PROFESSION

Here is a brief survey of my employment. It represents my whole professional life as I had but only one employer. It may be intersting tonote in the table below the heading,"So called Designation". There are two ways to sustain an employee. Firstly to give him an important

-looking designation, which may or may not describe his true job assignement. Secondly, the employee is given a raise in the salary. In a

private company the so called board of management is not the real decider. It is the CEO, who decides all matters. When he does notwant to give a benefit, he simply blames the board, but when he decides to give it, he does not even consult them. Boards are concerned

with other matters of interest to them. Employees are not their priority. It is difficult for a company to attain a good status, so employees

are high lighted by them to obtain it. Once attained, they start thinking that it is their relations with people of importance, that sustains

their business. Good employees only make it to the advertisemnt columns. So here is my timeline of both very important assignments

and show-boy assignment. Which is which, I let you be the judge:

Year Dept.

1959-60

1961-62

1962-63

1962-65

1965-67

1967-69

1970-74

1974-76

1976-78Impercon

Limited

1978-84Design &

Contracts

1984-2000Design &

Quality

2000-2007 Design &

Quality

7-LOOSE CHANGE

Following incidents or accidents during my life as an employee of a VERY private company support my above belief:

1- It was around 1975 that two of my colleagues and friends leaked a news that I would not get further "promotion" unles my wife stops

the Islamic practice of "HIJAAB". Well her hijaab was a matter of her and my conviction and she was not an employee of the company.

So I told them, if it was an official message, my reply would be,"I don't need such promotion".

I have no idea if they were only expressing ther own thinking but a few weeks latter, I was called by our MD. He very clearly stated that

Dy. Chief. Engr,

Design & Commercial

Incharge Construction of 220 kv D/C Line to Nishatabad

Incharge 132 kv SCARP line (Muzaffar Garh)

Incharge Design Office

USSR training July 16-1971 to Oct. 17, 1971

1969-70Construction-T

ransmissionLines&

Gridsatations

Construction Engineer

Incharge Construction of 2-220 kv D/C LinesMangla Transmission Project

Assistant Divisional

Engineer

Divisional Engineer

Sukkur Thermal Project Iib Incharge project 132kv-2 lines & 3 Gridstations

Design &

Contracts

Chief Design &

Contract Engineer

Head Office Lahore

Incharge Design and Cotracts

Incharge 500 kv T/L Tarbela-Faisalabad

Crew incharge-Difficult Tower Erection, Tension Stringing

in Warsak Hills, Stringing main crew, Special Low Height

towers-Survey, Foundations, Erection and Stringing

AssignmentSo called Designation

Incharge Project-3 lines & 3 Substations all 132 kvCommunication Towers

Construction of Rohri Pole Plant

Sukkur Thermal Project phase II

Project

Incharge 11 kv & 33 kv lines on tubular poles

Incharge Stringing 66kv transmission lines

Area Incharge-Sargodha, Piplan, Layyah, 18Hazari

Sukkur Thermal Project phase I Incharge Project-7 Lines andd 7 Gridstations 66kv

Warsak Kharian 132kv D/C

Transmission Line

Hyderabad Thermal Project

Sec0nfary T/L P_roject

Director Technical &

Qualty Management

Representative

Design All Projects

ISO 9000 Certification & ImplementationHead Office Lahore

Chief

Engineer/General

Manger/Acting CEO of

Impercon

Impercon Head Office at Lahore Construction of 111 Tube-wells in Michinabad Area

Chief Engineer Design & Tendering All Projects

Director Technical &

Electrical Spervisor

Head Office LahoreDesign All Projects

Spervisor for the company as per Electricity Act


4/8

Sheet 4 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM




Engineering 05

they did not need my services any more, and that I should find another job. All that I could say as a response was that they proceed

with their decision, and finding a job for me was not their hastle. It was a difficult time for me. I had started to build my house with a loan

from House Building Corporation. Whatever I had saved, I had put in the construction, that was still not usable as a house.

In less than fifteen days, I was called again, was assigned a tube well project and was "promoted" as a chief engineer and project

manager. Latter When I visited WAPDA and signed the contract with Member Water, forgetting my CROSS pen on his table, I learned

from a WAPDA director some facts about the contract. Mr. Bhutto had promised his voters in southern Punjab to build water supply

schemes in that area. Bhutto ordered WAPDA to immediately start Tubewell projects in the area and complete before next elections

due in 1977. There were not that many qualified contractors for the job. WAPDA suspended their usual prequalification procedures and

gave the projects without a formal bids. Our company was included in that list.

fteras General manger and given the powers of Owner Director of the company. My seat in the main company was occupied by my junior

colleague, Saeed Anwar, who would run the afairs of the design office in consultation wth me. After Bhuttp's fall as a result of rigged

elections WAPDA changed their policy and two companies were formed to run such projects. One under the federl Govt. by the name

of National Tubewell Corporation, headed by my class fellow, and the other within WAPDA, named WAPDA Tubewell Taskfrce, headed

by my friend A. Khaliq. All future tenders went to them with no chances of private companies. I gave an official report to the board of

directors proposing to close the company. I was told by my immediate boss that such reports must be worded such that unwarranted

scare is not spread. I told them, I would not conceal the truth. If the directors decide, I will leave the company. Instead I was transferred

back on my seat, where my junior colleague running day to day affairs had gone abroad for better prospects.

2-On Sep.7, 1997, my kids were palying in our office on a Sunday, while I was working to help our MD to prepare for his foreign visit. He

did not like the noise from the kids and asked some-one who's kids they were. Promptly I was called and given an exercise to find a

contract for making drawings on Autocad, In my design office and report a feasibilty of it a month latter on his return from abroad. I took

the hint and completed the exercise and concluded that currently WAPDA and other semigovt. employess work part time in private

companies, taking a meager sum in return. And these private companies had no interest in using autocad in-house or on contract. I

submitted the report along with my intent to leave the company. But MD asked me to continue.

3-Sometimes in 1998, the company decided to do business abroad in the form of a joint venture. A large group was invited and a meeting

arranged to include all the senior and young directors. I was also in the meeting. When intoduced the president of this group noted that

except for me, all were family members. So he remarked,"Don't you have professional management ?". The company response was

obvious, "These boys have been employed on merit".I would offer NO COMMENTS from my side.

4- Twice I resigned from my job- Once right in the beginning and then in winter of 1959 and second time inJan. 1985. On both occasions

company went all the way to retain me, by giving me financial benefits and usual honors that attract employees so much. I was even

given interest free loan to eas my liabilities of house construction.

5-Around 1985 we were lowest in a project in Karachi, but our tower supplier backed out. Our contract team was in Karachi to attend

award meetings and nagotiate the final contract price. Suddenly I received a frantic call form the MD to come to Karachi. Here I was

to prepare estimated tower weights based on a new design. Consultant Fishner from Germany were very skeptical about our capabilities.

In fact they were very secretive and would not have us talk freely except answering some questions and they would formulate the results

in their own manner. We did not have VDE 0210, which was the very basis of tower design.A very interseting event happened.

I was then taking a homoeopathic medicines in the form of little globules. When there was an intermission in the meeting. I took out the

bottle and poured some globules on my palm and put them into my mouth. The gentleman sitting next to me was the Project Manager

designate from Fichner side, to deal with us in Germany. He looked at my globules and asked for a few. I shared happily. He closed his

eyes for a moment and remarked," I have been wanndering in the whole world for the treatment of my sinus problem, but not even half

the relief was experienced as today." Right at that time I saw with him an English version of the VDE. So I requested for half an hour.

He readily obliged and I rushed for a photocopy. Before the meeting would resume, I had the book back.

Next day, I had studied it and then pointed out things in their specifications that were in contradiction to VDE. The chief nagotiator from

Fichner side looked surprised and asked how could I argue with a German on German standard. The answer softened their attitude and

sked me to bring answers to his querries with calculations as per VDE by dinner time in his hotel. I handed over the package. As soon as

he left the scene, members of his team became very friendly towards me and started consulting on their medical problems. To cut the

story short, they took my medical reputation to their head office. When I visited them in Stutgart, I had a VIP treatment and my three

week long stay was as comfortable as one could have. I was able to get new designs approved. In fact the gentleman to approve design,

was a PhD. He gave his stamp to me and I stamped myself on all the drawings and he signed. Our Korean team gave me the title of

Thinking that I must also be a PhD.

I have stated this rather long story because after all these years, When I was in hospital, two of my ex-coleagues came to visit me

and mentioned this story. They had heard it for the first tiem from our MD that day, and were woundering on the remarks of the MD

that it was a milestone in their contracual history. Can anybody connect it to my unceremonius departure from the company? No send-off

no retirement benefits, no certificates and yet the MD is remembering me, when I am lying in the hospital. SO THAT IS MY NET

EARNING.

6-It was around 1975-76 when the WAPDA chief, incharge of our 500kv project, called me in his office and told that there was a report from

his staff that on a river-crossing foundation, something injurios has happened and has been covered up by ICC. He wanted me to go to


5/8

Sheet 5 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM

ENGINEERING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE Original Date:August 14, 2011 V 2.16 File: 04-My half century.xlsxA B C D E F G H I J K L M N


Engineering 05

the site and investigate on his behalf, and report directly to him. I did that forthwith. He accepted my report that there was no damage

and no coverup. But one thisg is strange. He was asking from an officer of the contractor to check on his behalf. My report could have

gone against my own company. I was really thanful to the Chief Engineer for placing his confidence on me.

7- around 1978-79, I received a phone from a director of WAPDA to clarify a technical point. I was not THAT qualified in ssteel structure

to have answered the question in a technical way. I told him of my defficiency and on his insistance, I gave him a commonsense

reply. It was about taking moment of a wind force, acting on conductor in a suspension string. The answer was that since the suspension

string was not rigid, the moment will be force multiplied with height of the cross-arm. I did not know the background, and the director in

question was an old frined of mine.

As soon as I cam back, I had a fretic call from our MD to come to his office. He told me that the tender of a sister organisation was

rejected on the basis of answer given by me to this director and that I should go back on my answer, telling them that it was mymisunderstanding of the question. But I did not agree. I told him that I believed in my answere and I would not goback on my argument.

And you have to believe me that I continued in the service of the company for another 24-25 years despite that answere.

The above stories only give me a consolation that, though it was not easy but I managed with the grace of Allah to lead as honest a life as

was humanyly possible, withot fear of results.

8-IT WAS NOT EASY

In Pakistan, working in private companies is not easy. As they have no rules of business for employees' benefits. Even what are

prescribed by law are not implemented in spirit. Employees have no choice . Even if some private companies make rulles, they do so

for their own conveninece. Mostly employees are treated as domestic servants, which encourages the flattery and lip service as valuable

tools for getting financial and other benefits. That means the upright and sincere employees are at a loss. there is a fine line between

between pleasentness and outright flattery.

And in case of construction companies, at the construction sites, technicians and foremen have their say in all matters, because they

sort of make up the daily production. That was particularly the condition of my company, when I joined at Peshawar. Foremen would

keep the technology and skill close to their boosams and would not share with the engineers, lest they loose their importance.

They would even prevent engineer contact with the workers also on excuse of maintaining descipline. And the chief engineer would

discus the daily plan with the foremen only. So IT WAS NOT EASY to make a dent in the system. As I had a mild nature and honest

and streightforward approach, it was quite difficult to break into the alliance or at least it seemed so.

Add to this the financial and technical defficiencies of the time and the picture is even darker. Most of the engineers, who ever joined this

company, did not stay back due to harsh conditions. The same applies to other companies also. Although it is said that a rolling stone

gathers no mass, yet the resulting increased salary at every switch is an incentive. Gathering mass actually means getting more

authority but not necessarily more money, which in any case has to dwindle with the next generation coming in.

Authority has several components. I will incude 1)Administrative authority. 2) Financial authority. 3)Technical authority and a trace

different from the technical authority is Technical authanticity. The latest is a personal possession and cannot be taken away.

I enjoyed this one all my life and even now.All others are short lived and depend on the pleasure of the CEO.

ICC business basically involved electrical technology, so thy employed only electrical engineers. But most activities at site were of amechanical and civil in nature, the elctrical engineers were behaving almost as quacks except the two main owners, the CEE

(Chief Erection Engineer) and the then Director Technical who had the right background. But a major defficiency was not using

professional management, with the idea that engineers may not like to work under them. But actually the family business has no

scope for professional management.

Thus real management techniques are not used. Most of the top employees are from the family or employed by recommendations of

family or family friends. Most top slots are filled with retired persons. The theory is that they already had their day and will not dare

say "NO" at any time. In my carrier, one of the assignment was recruiting new engineers. In the interview, if some one said

"yes sir!" in a row, I would declare him unsuitable. That principal held even with those who were directly attached to me. In my opinion

engineers are not soldiers, where Theres not to reason to question why; Theres but to do and die. Add to this the lateral entry of sons

of the boss, who have not passed through the mill or in a way, who are passed through special mill. Initialy the new generation had some

consideration for me, as I had trained All the sons in this and other sister companies earlier on, but the respect was soon eroded by

the authority they possesed. Slowly and slowly they took over and I started feeling as a show boy and not running the show. It would be

clearer when you read the story of my retirement. In such circumstances, my length of service, almost a half century seems to be an

extra-ordinary acrobatic feat.

as for the attitude of the clients, In line with age old traditions of the Roads, Building and Irrigation departments, contractors and ther

employees were looked down upon as an inferior class of population, like SHOODARS in HINDU culture. Governement Officers were

considered a superior race. I recall the dialogue of a WAPDA officer, Malik Ata-ur-rehman, who was supervsing our work in 1959 at Jhangi,

near Rawalpindi. He had a dispute with one of my coleagues on a matter of field work. He asserted by saying," You know I am an Officer

that too of WAPDA, and who are you? An employee of a CHORE (Thieve) company". I myself never believed in my company as CHORE.

I worked for its dignity through the half century or so that I served it. But it shows how difficult it was to be working in a private company.

I also recall an irrigation conference, where a friend of mine was the host for tea to the irrigation officers attending the conference. I had

incidently visited him and found him sitting outside the venu, as if he was the caterer. I asked hime why he did not join in. He said

it is against the age-old tradition and official atticate.


6/8

Sheet 6 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM




Engineering05

But I must say, it was very difficult to work and at times, I faced a dilema. Yet I developed a reputation that also supported the cause of

the company. Very soon I had obtained the confidence of the employer, the client and client's engineer. The little story about Dr. Ahmet

Kacikci, which is incuded somewhere below will prove my point. To avoid repetiotion, I am not repeating what has been said in the file

02-By Way of Nostalgia.xlsx. That had a relevence in that chapter.

9-MY LAURELSIn what I have written in this chapter, I may have been obviously praising

myself and giving little storys that emphasise my importance to the

the company and the reader might fell it as self recommendation. It is

not uncommon that retired people try to sit on their laurels. And I am no

exception. But there is no other way to give the reader a feel of the past

glory without describing the individual achievements even at the risk ofaccusation of self praise.

I have tried to collect my laurels under heads that actually describe the

technology of the transmission line design and erection. This description

may seem trivial in the present context, but at the time that I was doing it

it was an uphill task to fetch the right information, to make a presentation

and to prove to the client that it worked.

In fact, when my company claimed that I was the only one in this level

of technology, they actually meant that I have to prove my work in

accordance with specifications and standards. Other colleagues in WAPDA,

KESC oe even in NESPAK had an inherent authority to claim that they

were correct. A case in point is my design study of foundations of polygonol

poles ( F12-PolF-NIPPON.xlsx ) and my inability to make a design for new

job on the wrong basis of design proposed by WAPDA.

In fact on another job, Guddu substation extension, my company compared my design of gantry foundation with that of a contractor, who

claimed that the design was approved by NESPAK, before submission. So I got the blame of a lost job because of lack of a good design.

It was a thorn in my foot and I investigated it thoroghly. My friends in NESPAK, told me latter that it was actually prepared by NESPAK

designers as the high boss was related in some way to the contractor, who had actually submitted a wrong design. In order to approve

it specifications had to be ignored. So what my company needed, at that time was not a good designer but a relative as a BOSS of the

approving authority.

10-AROGANT PEEVISH BOSSFor the saging of 66 kv line to Nawabsha, I was given a sag-tension chart from the project office. Those days the only copying process

was blue printing. It was probably printed from a bad original. The graph lines did not appear in the blue print. I objected to the project

director that the chart did not show clearly the graph lines and it was impossible to read the x,y values accurately. He insisted that

I use it anyway. I had no choice except to make my own calculations. I had kept the little note book that I made the computations on.

I would have given an image of a page here, but the note book also went to the pulp mill along with my rest of the collection.

Once the project director made a visit to the site of stringing. He judged that the sag was too tight. He asked me as to how I computed

sag for intermediate spans within the section. I gave him the usual answer- by square ratio. He suggested I should do it by direct ratio.I argued that it was conceptually in-correct. At that time I did not know the mathematics behind it, now I know and am giving the details

elswhere in a searate workbook. When he insisted too much, and I noded. But I continued use of my own calculations. When latter he

visited again, he saw the sag appearance and told me it was better. He then smiled and said that he was right in sugesting direct ratio.

I kept silent meaningfully.

On another occasion, he asked me to help a colleague of mine Mr. Maqbool Ahmad Rizvi,

on a railway crossing that was very oblique and and on slope. By noon time, we had almost finished

sagging and were in the process of clipping. He came from Hyderabad, and stopped by the lower

support, where the wires appeared rather too tight. He was not happy and instructed us to loosen a

bit and told us that he would check again on his way back. We both inspected our work and found

nothing wrong. Then suddenly, I had a thought. It was the place of observation that was making it

looked bad. So we selected another suitable spot and waited for his return. Naturally, he would come

to us for observation. This time he found it alright and enquired how much loosening was done. My

colleague, posing very very seriously told him,"about 8 inches". He was very happy and considered

his judgment as superior to our calculations.

On the same project, once our Chief Engineer from head office visted with the project director mentioned

above and passed by my camp. I invited both of them over lunch. The Chief seemed to agreed but the

project director said to him in a low voice that the "boy" may not have proper crockery. Instead they

should lunch at the camp of my other colleague, where company had provided imported crockery. But

the project director ignored the fact that such a facility was not given to me for no fault from my side. But because of the nod from the

Chief, they had to eat in Pakistani crockery and cutlary. But I felt bad about the attictude of the Project Director, who would not give the

same facility to me that he had given to my colleague, in the same town.

11-TELL TAKE LIST OF KEY PERSONELL

My clients and frineds always thought that there were not many people of my skill in the country. But my company owners always


7/8

Sheet 7 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM




Engineering05

advocated that I was the ONE AND ONLY in the country. I am thankful to them. But their generouity overwhelmed when when

they offered me the post of advisor at less than one third the already meager salary and a car already an antique peice. I had no

choice except to say a polite "NO". And left their offices without a formal send off or retirement benefits. Incidentally I checked on

ICC web site and found my name still listed among their key personel even today (30th. July, 2012- That is 5 years after my

retirement). But I don't mind that as all my memories centre round my professional past, and that my association wit the company

was too strong and too long to be forgotten:

In the formation and completion of the art,

share of HAFEEZ, the poet is a (significant)

It spans over half a century and not a few years

Here is an excerpt from iccpvt web page:

12-WHAL'S LITTLE DESIGN MANUAL

A friend of mine, looking at my software in BASIC that I had published in eighties, remarked that my job was not an F-16. I told him

in return, that my company's livelihood was in making bullock carts- and it was my duty to ensure new designs within that sphere.

I should not be judged from the low tech product but from my efforts in innovation in that product that ensured timely development of skill

and knowledge that resulted in continuous business. On that count I think I did succeed. His remarks did not discourage me. I rather felt

proud of my little work.

I recall Mr. A. W. Whal of HARZA, who had collected huge notes for training WAPDA Transmission Line engineers. He named the

collection as WAHL'S LITTLE MANUAL. It was actually an EPITOME of transmission Line.AND it was not little by any means. He had

collected so much information and guide lines for the profession that it had become a formidable document. I had collected those papers

in 6 beautifully bound volumes. As they were poor copies, I started a project to retype them. The project was still going on when I left.

I hope some one will complete it and make it public for the Trnsmission Line engineers.

But then it was the age of slide rule. Between his retirement (around 1970) and mine (2007), a very useful tool had appeared on the scene.

This was PERSONAL COMPUTER, and a wealth of software that was available at a nominal cost. In early eighties, the birth of PC and

a software by what became known as "What-IF Gang"- VISI-CALC ported to it had opened up great new possibilities. VisiCalc had

started as an aid to the accountants. Not only it was great for the number crunching but helped remove drudgery from repetitive jobs by

introducing the concept of templates. That exactly is what I have tried to do here. Designing a template once, can save time and effort

much like FORTRAN programming. This is not to undermine the benefits of professional software for solving specialized problems.

But a spreadsheet is good for documentation, providing much needed audit trail by mixing graphics with hand written notes (on tablet PCs

such as IBM laptops-Like the one I have LENOVO X220 and it made the work more interesting.

13-SPREADSHEET AS A MY TOOL

As I recall, I was using spread sheet for T/L engineering since 1984- when my employer imprted an HP-85. But it was considered so

valuable that access to it was like booking for a moon trip. So I decided to buy a locally assembled PC XT with no hard drive basically for

my kids. At that time HDD was too costly, and the sale proceeds of the hereditary peice of land, that I sold for this purpose did not suffice.

My employer was not convinced to buy a computer at my office desk. Even after 1991-when I was heading a computerized project, with

forty computers in a dedicated office under my control, where I was supposed to provide training also and trouble shoot the hitherto

unknown realm of mapping concepts I was not considered eligible to buy a computer for myself. But I was not put off by that empathy of


8/8

Sheet 8 of 8


30-Aug-12

11:42 AM




Engineering 05

my employer. I was using my home PC to do my office work. Although computational facilities were minimal, yet it gave me a chance to

do hands on programming. So I was able to learn the technology with a definite advantage over my colleagues. Latter my son braught in

from US, PC 386, followed by 486, that made me ahead of my office. So I was able to keep an edge over my colleagues and some

in my client organization.

I was able to introduce quite a few innovations in the erection technolgy. The first one was use of Pole-Top extension for clipping in the top

phase of the 66Kv line on poles with wish-bone cross arms. That was 1961.

14-ERECTION TECHNOLGY

Another was the use of floating Gin Pole in tower erection in 1963. I saw a slide of erection by CHECO (A canadian company then workingin Srilanka). They were using Aluminum lattice Gin Pole in the centere of tower. While my company was using a steel tubular pole raised

along one leg of tower. This was only suitable for narrow based towers, and because of difficulties handling assembled panels in keeping

away from the already erected portion and hoist the panel in place. It also caused the pulling effort to increase and wasted a lot of time.

I got our workshop boys in Rohri, to weld seemless steel pipe into a tall gin pole. I got the proportions by projecting the slide on to a wall.

A canadian Steel erector, Allan Tait helped figure out the swival details at bottom and top. I sent the pole to our best field crew headed by

a forman Mr. Haq Nawaz. He shook his head at first, ridiculing the idea, basically because of the weight of the monster, but by the end of

the day, he seemed overjoyed. He talked other crewmen into demanding it as also other projects and soon it became popular. The gain

in terms of daily progress was at least three times. At that time aluminum section was not easily available in the country and aluminum

welding technology was not around. In next few years, when the company could order such poles frrom Italy, the progress further

increased because of reduction of weight. Now it is used by all companies.

In 1967, we had to erect multiple antena towers (Triangular guyed) made of steel tubes. I was able to think of a very light and short steel

Gin Pole with a swival head on top, to hoist the 10 meter sections of the tower. In fact I perfected the methodology for erecting such a

tower in Sukkur Thermal Plant Yard, without using any Gin Pole. A method I called Base Erection. I worked the details all night and

wrote all details like an SOP. But I was suspicious by morning as to the safety of the method and did not go to site myself. But my junior

colleague came by mid day to report completion of the site. That was marvelous. But I still did not allow the method to go on on other

sites and devised the above mentioned Swival Head Vertical Gin Pole. It was a safer bet.

Same year(1967) we strung the first Bundle conductor line. Consultants wanted tension stringing and there was no such equipment in the

country. And time and money was not available. With the help of an inteligent blacksmith,who was actually making springs suspensions

of trucks, I was able to Improvise a locally made puller (Capston Type) and a tensioner with manual braeking. The equipment looked funny

but it worked.

In 1971, I was sent to the former USSR for training in design and erection of 500 kv transmission Lines and substations. For this I had to

learn the Russian language first. I got a very good chance of learning the technology and came back to apply it. An image of the the

training certificate is given on the right in the non printing area.

This is how I answered to myself! The question that I was successful is not important. I should actually answere the question as to how

sincerely and devotedly I did my job. I lived in a low tech environment, where new technology was not a priority. I had no access to Highereducation,or to modern tools. But I did try to use all that I could learn or know, despite lack of real Opportunities and amenities. I found

myself still much better off, compared to some of my colleagues in THIS or other companies or departments. I did not seek lime light, but

there was some any way. I did not work for money only, but Allah gave me enough to be honest and diligent.

Documents

04-My Half Century