Daily Times

KARACHI: A tug of war has been started between Karachi Development Authority (KDA)’s Pipe Factory and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB)’s , management, Daily Times learnt.

In a letter-MD/KWSB/2017/795/1 to Secretary Sindh Local Government, KWSB has alleged that KDA Pipe Factory was not capable of manufacturing Pre-Pressed Concrete Conduit (PRCC) pipes conforming to international standards.

Misbauddin Fareed, Managing Director KWSB informed that KDA Pipe Factory is not even capable of manufacturing the required quantity of 84″ dia PRCC pipes within the targeted completion date of additional 65 million gallon per day (MGD) water supply scheme from Haleji to Pipri Karachi.

He claimed that according to the consultant’s assessment of a private EA Consultants Private Limited, the present machinery and equipment of KDA Pipe Factory was in dilapidated condition and non-functional and there was no concrete evidence available that Factory in a position and has the capability to fulfill KWSB’s pipes requirements.

KDA by refusing to accept this decision has advocated that the entity had built the Factory and has been running it smoothly.

Hamid Zaidi, Project Director of KDA Pipe Factory has informed that although negotiations were held between two the entities for supply of water pipes of different diameters to KWSB for its K-4 project and 65-MGD Project but talks have remained unresolved.

In this connection an agreement has also been delayed under which KWSB had to provide Rs 400 million to pipe factory, 10 percent of the total value of pipes to be supplied for the K-4 project.

“It has astonished the KDA authorities that KWSB has out rightly demanded the control of the Factory, which is out of question”, he asserted.

KDA Pipe Factory has supplied water pipes for the Greater Karachi Project, K-1, K-2 and K-3 and has regained its reputation, he informed.

The Factory is currently running with a meager staff and is bearing its expenses. In case the KWSB water pipes supplies are resumed under an accord, Factory would come into full swing and would employ contract staff and technicians for the required pipe production, he concluded.

He claimed that Factory can be singled out in the region since it is the only unit which is making PRCC pipes up to 84 inches diameters.

“We have supplied thousands of different diameters of pipes to various firms in the country”, he informed.

Since for the last sixty years pipes of the Factory have maintained good condition, that have been used in different projects .

KWSB has remained a part of KDA till 1983, and later under a Water Board Act, KWSB turned into a separate entity to run its affairs.

Due to the running in financial losses, KDA had had released 600 Factory employees with financial assistance of World Bank in 1998 under the golden hand shake scheme, he said.

Nimatullah Khan former Nazim Karachi had restored the functioning of the closed Factory in 2003 and later Factory started manufacturing pipes for K3.