KARACHI: KWSB seeks approval for desalination plant
KARACHI, May 28: Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, through the Planning and Development Department of Sindh, has approached the Federal Planning Division for approval of PC-II to undertake feasibility study at a cost of Rs23 million for installation of seawater desalination plant in the city.
The PC-II was earlier approved by the Provincial Development Working Party and sent to Central Development Working Party, which approved its subject to incorporate the comments of the P&D Division.
However, the P&D Division mainly emphasized upon in-house feasibility study, official sources said, quoting the ‘Position Paper’ sent to Islamabad.
The purpose of PC-II was to determine the basic indicators such as capital cost of plant and equipment, land required based on recent prices, operating cost for next 20 years, tariff structure for consumers, viable size of the plant, integration of plant into the network and suitable approach for implementation of desalination like BOT or any other mode.
The KWSB requested the planning division for clear approval, enabling the Economic Division, Islamabad, to approach donors for grant so that proposals could be invited, sources said.
The Planning Division was informed that a number of firms from the US, Austria and other countries have communicated their interest in investing for installation of a desalination plant on BOT basis.
The firms include ENVIRO-Management, Inc, USA; Desalinate; CDM; EGEMI; Met Life USA; Tow-Heed Group, USA; Gresham’s Eastern (Pvt) Ltd and V.A. Tech International which is an Austrian firm.
ENVIRO had given proposal to WAPDA, Defence Housing Authority and KWSB for 25-MGD plant on BOT basis.
The KWSB, in its position paper, stated that in the feasibility study carried out in Dec 1985 for future expansion of Karachi Water Supply System, the cost of desalination at that time was assessed at Rs140 per 1,000 gallons, but after accounting for ten per cent annual inflation, the present cost has escalated to over Rs500 per 1,000 gallons.
It further stated that bulk water supply to Karachi is going through a critical phase as climatic conditions are changing with periodic and prolonged dry spell. The Indus River is flowing at low-level downstream Kotri, although it is the most viable source of water. Moreover, traditional supply of 100mgd from Hub is not available due to drought. The supply from this source has dropped to 30mgd. Water losses have also been estimated around 30 to 35 per cent it added, suggesting exploring alternate sources of water which could only be seawater desalination.
The KWSB referred to President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s directives for installation of seawater desalination plant in Karachi and the meetings held by the Sindh Governor with coastal authorities, KWSB and a number of investors in this regard.
In order to overcome shortage of water, the Defence Housing Authority is also contemplating the installation of co-generation plant that would produce 3mgd water and 30mw power.—PPI
