150TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION (UPU) October 9th, 2024 (2024-11)

Universal Postal Union (UPU), established on 9th October, 1874 with its headquarters in Berne, is the second oldest international organization worldwide. UPU, with its 192 member countries, is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players to ensure one postal territory world over. UPU is celebrating its 150th anniversary on 9th October, 2024. The event will be marked with festivities and arrangements of different competitions and social programs all across the world.

UPU fulfills an advisory, mediating and liaison role, and provides technical assistance to its members where needed. It sets the rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations to stimulate growth in mail and financial services volumes and improve quality of service for customers.

Working of UPU:- UPU comprises of following four working bodies which run its business:

1-      Congress:- Congress is the supreme authority of the UPU and meets every four years. Plenipotentiaries from the UPU's 192 member countries gather on this occasion to decide on a new World Postal Strategy and set the future rules for international mail exchanges. In some circumstances, an Extraordinary Congress may also be convened at the request or with the consent of at least two thirds of the member countries.

2-      Council of Administration (CA) :- The Council of Administration (CA) consists of 41 member countries and meets biannually at UPU headquarters in Berne. The Council ensures the continuity of the UPU's work between Congresses, supervises its activities and studies. regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues.

3-       Postal Operations Council (POC) :- Postal Operations Council (POC) is the technical and operational mind of the UPU and consists of 48 member countries, elected during Congress. The body elects its own chair and meets biannually at the UPU's headquarters in Berne.

The POC's work programme is geared towards helping Posts modernize and upgrade their postal products and services. It deals with the operational, economic and commercial aspects of the postal business. The body also makes recommendations to member countries on standards for technological, operational or other processes within its competence where uniform practices are necessary.

4-      International Bureau :- International Bureau the UPU's headquarters is located in Berne (Switzerland). It has a staff of about 250 employees drawn from about 50 different countries. Fulfilling a secretariat function, the international Bureau provides logistical and technical support to the UPU's bodies. It serves as an office of liaison, information and consultation, and promotes technical cooperation among Union members. In recent years, the International Bureau has taken on a stronger leadership role in certain activities. These include the application of postal technology through its Postal Technology Centre, the development of postal markets through potential growth areas such as direct mail and EMS, and the monitoring of quality of service on a global scale.

Regional coordinators in the field strengthens the International Bureau's ability to assist Posts of developing countries in the most effective manner. They oversee the planning, preparation, implementation and follow-up of postal development projects in their regions.

Through its Postal Technology Centre, the UPU has established a number of regional support centres in different parts of the world to support its information technology activities. These centres anage the deployment and support of UPU technology applications, products and services within their respective regions.

Pakistan & WORDS:- Pakistan joined UPU on 10th November, 1947. From time to time, UPU has provided support to Pakistan for capacity building of its officers and for the betterment of postal operations in the country. Pakistan has remained member of POC and CA during different Congress Cycles and played very active role in formulation and implementation of world postal strategies. During Istanbul Cycle, Pakistan also got opportunity to serve as co-chair of Council of Administration.

On the occasion of 150th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), with a Commemorative postage Stamp of Rs.150/- denomination and two Souvenir Sheets valued Rs 100 each are being issued by Pakistan Post on 9^th October, 2024

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TARBELA DAM. October 1st, 2024 (2024-10)

Year 2024 marks a momentous occasion for development of water and hydropower resources in Pakistan, as the iconic Tarbela Dam turns 50 this year. After completion of the civil works of Tarbela Dam by WAPDA in third quarter of 1974, filling of water in the reservoir commenced 50 years ago.

Tarbela Dam stands as a symbol of national pride over the last five decades. Tarbela is the capstone of the Indus Basin Plan to ensure the continued and improved supply of water to millions of acres of irrigated land in Pakistan, mitigate floods and generate green, clean and most affordable hydroelectricity to move wheel of the national economy.

Tarbela Dam Project has been playing an instrumental role for economic development and social uplift in Pakistan during the last 50 years. The contribution Tarbela Dam Project has made towards progress in the country can be judged from the fact that it has released 406-million-acre feet (MAF) of stored water from the reservoir for agriculture and contributed 590,361 million units of low-cost and environment friendly hydel electricity to the National Grid. It is important to note that the economic and financial benefits of one MAF of water in Pakistan are estimated at US$ 1,000 million (US$ 1 billion). Therefore, total benefits accrued from Tarbela Dam during the last 50 years stand at US$ 406 billion.

Tarbela Dam, the largest earth and rock-fill dam in the world at the time of its completion, is located across River Indus 64 Km north-west of Islamabad. The construction work on Tarbela Dam commenced in 1968, while all the civil workscompleted in 1974. Development of powerhouses commenced in phases starting from 1974 onwards.

Tarbela Dam Project consists of a 9,000 feet (2,743 meters) long and 470 feet (143 meters) high embankment across the entire width of the river. It has two spillways with cumulative discharge capacity of 1,500,000 cusecs (42,476 cumeces). Two auxiliary embankment dams close the low- level ridges in the left bank valley. A group of 4 tunnels, each 0.8 Km long through the right abutment, were constructed for irrigation releases and power generation.

Tarbela reservoir which spans over an area of 259 square Km, had initially a live storage of 9.68 MAF. However, it has reduced to 5.77 MAF due to natural phenomenon of sedimentation during the last 50 years.

A power station on the right bank near the toe of main dam houses 17 power units at Tunnels 1, 2,3 and 4. Tarbela is the biggest electricity generation facility in Pakistan with installed capacity of 4888 MW51.6% of the total hydel capacity of WAPDA. The installed capacity at Tarbela will further increase to 6418 MW after completion of the under- construction Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project.

Cost of Tarbela Dam Project including power units 1 to 14 amounts to US $ 2,630 million. Cost of Tarbela 4th Extension Hydropower Project with power units 15 to 17 stands at US$ 1,075 million, while that of under-construction Tarbela 5th Extension, with power units 18 to 20, is estimated at US $ 807 million.

To mark 50 years completion of Tarbela Dam, the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.50/-denomination is being issue by Pakistan Post on October 1st, 2024.