Daily Times

The very first word that jumps to mind when we have a glance at the pyramids and such like iconic landmarks is ‘wonder’ but what these actually reflect is ‘legacy’ – legacy of some visionary leaders who built these marvels centuries ago. Leaders of today should also aspire to leave the legacies. They should ensure that whatever they do must have sustainability so that long after they are gone, whatever they started continues to evolve and the foundation of that legacy is always there.

To achieve this level of transformational legacy, we require to pursue more than the typical concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that entails a few nicely-worded hollow promises on official websites of the organizations and some make-you-feel-good sort of philanthropist initiatives. Rather, such legacy requires taking CSR to the next level that is deeply engrossed in all the activities of an organization because we are only remembered for the difference we make.

And that is exactly what Karachi Nuclear Power Project (KANUPP) has been aiming to achieve for over four decades. Located on the Arabian Sea coast, approximately 18km east of Karachi, KANUPP is Pakistan’s first nuclear power plant which got inaugurated on November 28, 1972. It comprises single unit Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) pressurized heavy-water reactor supplied by Canadian General Electric Company with gross electrical output of 137MWe. The plant is one of the five nuclear power plants (NPPs) currently owned and being operated by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).

For success of these national level projects, we require to evolve the notion of stewardship – a core leadership quality – at every step of the project

Nuclear power plants are often located in rural areas that receive considerable benefits from a large industrial complex. Utilities and government departments that operate nuclear energy facilities are involved in the economic uplift of nearby towns and communities, offering better quality educational institutes, dispensaries, hospitals, and markets. As the plants operate over several decades, their presence encourages continuity in their communities by offering employment to over more than one generation of families and workers.

At KANUPP this has translated into a reality through building shared value across all stakeholders ranging from owners to regulators and to the surrounding communities. These shared values have helped create a thriving community. As goodwill gesture, poor communities of the surrounding areas including Safar Goth, Soomar Goth, and Abdul Rahman Goth are regularly provided with dry ration bags for their sustenance.

KANUPP takes CSR and community development concept very seriously. For example, the plant operation at KANUPP site has contributed immensely in various ways of job creation and skills development of the population especially the youth. Management of KANUPP has ensured that all unskilled and semi-skilled jobs are given to the people hailing from immediate vicinity of the NPP. A total of 172 area residents have been inducted in special pay scale 1 to 5 as per their qualification and experience.

The work of PAEC Foundation and especially Hunargah (Industrial Homes) is worth mentioning as it is doing remarkable job in promoting and polishing the talent of skilled and semi-skilled workforce living in the vicinity of KANUPP and other power plants in the country. Foundation School (junior to middle) has been providing education and uniforms free of cost to the students of surrounding areas including Grexi, Bhudhni Goth and Musharraf Colony. A total number of 222 students are currently on the school rolls of PAEC Foundation.

Hunargah, an off shoot of PAEC Foundation, arranges free training for the girls of the areas surrounding KANUPP. Many girls have received the training. The art and crafts of the trained girls as well as local skilled women are promoted through exhibitions held all over the country under the platform of Hunargah. This promotional campaign facilitates local community women in becoming a helping hand which is crucial for survival of the poor families.

For provision of standard health facilities to the poor neighboring communities, visit of mobile health units/dispensaries arranged by KANUPP management is a regular feature. This has eased them off the burden related to health and well-being of themselves as well as their near and dear ones. So far, the radius of service area receiving free medical dispensary services has been expanded to 17 villages/goths.

The proof of an organization’s success in terms of fruitful CSR campaign can be gauged by the phenomenon that whenever there might be an issue with the regulators, leaders from the host community are actually speaking on your organization’s behalf. That is what I personally witnessed on the occasion when Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) conducted ‘public hearing’ on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report submitted by PAEC seeking permission for the construction of two nuclear power plants, namely K-2 and K-3 of 1100 MW each near KANUPP site in Karachi on April 27, 2015. During the public hearing, some dissenting voices tried to create much hue and cry based on the worst-case scenario but the local community leaders from the surrounding communities of KANUPP gave them real tough time and thesceptics had to go silent because the public at large favoured the siting of the power plants. The community leaders from nearby villages not only poured heaps of appreciation for the efforts KANUPP management has been doing for the benefit of locals – mostly fishermen, but they also defended K-2 and K-3 power plants’ sitting in the close vicinity as they were sure that these projects of much bigger size would definitely improve their life standard by providing them access to quality healthcare, schools, jobs for children  and overall development of the area.

The greatest contribution of KANUPP in terms of community service and CSR is, perhaps, the supply of potable water to the residents of localities in immediate vicinity, which is otherwise nowhere to be found. There was neither any pipeline to supply this basic commodity nor was the groundwater fit for consumption in performing household chores and drinking purpose. KANUPP has been doing a great service to the locals by supplying potable water through tankers at their doorstep for decades. Currently, a tanker of 1000 gallons of potable water is sent to nearby villages including Arab Goth, Safar Goth and others, on weekly basis.

Projects like KANUPP, based on the legacy of public service, need ownership at national level. For success of these national level projects, we require to evolve the notion of stewardship – a core leadership quality – at every step of the project. It is hoped that the top management at PAEC, KANUPP and now K-2 and K-3 NPPs, nearing completion, would keep sticking to this good old tradition of ensuring quality CSR – a legacy that our coming generations would be proud of.

The writer is former sub-editor of daily Dawn Islamabad and a PR practitioner