Islamabad: The government has rejected a report analyzing the reasons behind the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project’s tunnel collapse, which allegedly cost Rs 100 million to produce. The reason for the rejection? The findings and recommendations of the report were reportedly available for free on ChatGPT, an AI tool.
According to The Express Tribune, the report was presented at a meeting led by Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal. The aim of the report was to identify the causes of the tunnel collapse and pinpoint those responsible for the failure. However, an unexpected twist emerged when Iqbal opened his ChatGPT account during the meeting, noting that the report’s conclusions, prepared at such a high cost, were easily accessible on the AI platform.
The report included basic explanations for the tunnel collapse and offered suggestions for repair. Upon reviewing it, Minister Iqbal humorously commented that the Rs 100 million findings could be accessed for free via ChatGPT.
In place of holding individuals accountable, the report’s creators recommended that the government either reconstruct the tunnel at a cost of Rs 250 to 300 billion or repair it for Rs 20 billion. However, WAPDA officials clarified that a repaired tunnel could not be guaranteed to last beyond six years.
Sources further revealed that efforts are being made to protect those responsible for the project’s significant structural damage. A cabinet member noted that the Rs 500 billion Neelum-Jhelum project had been hastily completed, prioritizing political benefits over engineering guidelines.
