Daily Times

KARACHI: The Federal government has showed its inability to provide further funds to Sindh government on on-going Greater Karachi Sewage Treatment Plant (S-III) project, Special Secretary Local Government Department (LGD), Sindh has confirmed.

Earlier, Centre was providing funds for S-III project and Rs 1.37 billion had so far been paid to Sindh government during 2010-2011, before devolution of power, under equal sharing in the cost of the project, which has now has been escalated to Rs 43 billion from its original estimation of Rs 7 billion, revealed official of LGD Sindh.

Sindh government has so far spent around Rs 3 billion on the project and is now looking other financial avenues for the completion of this project, he added.

In a written letter, the Central government has informed LGD, “Under 18th amendment in the Constitution, after devolution of powers the funds are transferred to provinces so it was not possible, for the central government to keep on the flow of funds for the S-III project”.

After this setback, the Sindh government has started to negotiate with World Bank, Asian Development Bank and international donor agencies for the provision of funds in order to complete this project, LGD official has informed. In case of success, the plan would be sent to Executive Committee of National Economic Commission for final approval.

“Karachi industrial estates, Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim Authority, Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Export Promotion Bureau, Pakistan Railway and Cantonment Boards have been requested to give a helping hand in the completion of this vital project as these entities are also the stakeholders of S-III project”, LGD official said.

A meeting under Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah has been convened next week to discuss the future of S-III and availability of funds.

The components of S-III project, Haroonabad Treatment Plant (TP-I), Mahmoodabad TP-II and Hawks Bay TP-III would also be made functional besides fourth such plants would also be built at Korangi Creek built under S-III project.

Accumulation of sewage water in Lyari and Malir rivers after treatment would also be discharged into Arabian Sea under this project.

Supreme Court of Pakistan since 1992 on five occasions has been directing KWSB to streamline the functioning of TPs in order to save Arabian Sea being polluted.

The KWSB officials had prayed before the Court that rehabilitation and up-gradation work on closed TP-I, TP-II and TP-III-components of S-III project would be starting soon after the release of funds from federal and Sindh governments.

After rehabilitation of TP-I, TP-II and TP-III and the building of TP-IV, total hydraulic capacities would approximately come to 950 million gallon per day (MGD).

Karachi is producing more than 650 MGD sewage, which includes municipal, hospital and industrial liquid waste.

Ecology of coastal areas is worsening day by day, because more than 500 MGD untreated sewerage both municipal and industrial is being dumped into sea.

S-III is already delayed by eight years with a treatment capacity of 460 MGD sewage.

The chief secretary Sindh had also advised Commissioner Karachi to facilitate KWSB in resettlement of 50 acre of land in Shah Faisal Colony reserved for S-III project. The director-general of Environment Protection Agency has submitted that agency had sent 30 cases against factories over violation of environmental laws while several factories have installed treatment plants at their premises.