KARACHI: KWSB at loggerheads with works department: Uplift projects
By Azizullah Sharif
KARACHI, Oct 23: A tug of war has kicked off between the city government’s works and services department and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board over the execution of major sewerage and water development projects under Tameer-i-Karachi Programme.
Referring to recent advertisements whereby the CDGK’s works and services department has floated over Rs150 million tenders for awarding contracts of various rehabilitation works of sewerage under the TKP, sources in the KWSB said that the city’s water supply and sewerage system was being managed by the KWSB while the contracts for laying major sewerage system was being awarded by the works and services department.
Sources said that the KWSB would not take the responsibility of the rehabilitation of sewerage system if it was not carried out properly and declared unsatisfactory by KWSB engineers. The rehabilitation of sewerage system has to be completed before initiating construction of a major road (Road 8000) under long life programme, which would connect Korangi industrial area with Landhi Town, they added.
Claiming that the sewerage lines are usually laid in a haphazard manner, KWSB sources mentioned various defunct KDA housing schemes, including Scheme-33 whose control had not yet been taken over by the KWSB, where sewerage lines were even missing at several places.
“On the one hand, the KWSB managing director has been assigned the task of undertaking major water and sewerage works to be executed under the TKP by the governor while on the other the tenders for such works are being invited by the city government’s works and services department although the later department does not even possess expertise in water and sewerage systems,” they said.
However, independent sources are of the view that the major water and sewerage related works must be executed under the supervision of KWSB officials as they had the expertise.
Expressing their fear that major water and sewerage works for which Rs9 billion has been allocated under the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme might suffer on account of an in-fight between the KWSB and works and services department, they urged City Nazim Mustafa Kamal to intervene in the matter, or else the consumers would ultimately suffer if KWSB refused to take control of the localities where a major sewerage system was being rehabilitated on the plea that the system had not been laid properly.
Tenders for over Rs150m rehabilitation works to be executed under the TKP have been invited by the CDGK’s works and services department and the major works include laying of 48, 24 and 18 inches sewerage lines across 8000 Road on the Brooks Chowrangi and near Toyota Showroom, Korangi Industrial Area; rehabilitation of sewerage system by laying substitute 48-inch RCC pipeline of Landhi Trunk Main at Sector-19 to 13000 Road (from Singer Chowrangi to Sector 20 along 8000 Road Korangi Industrial Area of Landhi Town and a number of other main sewerage lines.
