KARACHI: Wastewater treatment project may be revived
By Hasan Mansoor
KARACHI, Dec 8: The City District Government Karachi and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board have plans to revive the Korangi wastewater management and sewerage treatment plant project, abandoned in 1997 for several reasons including opposition by some non-governmental organisations.
Officials in the CDGK told Dawn the senior authorities have decided to revive this project mainly to provide additional sewage treatment capacity to prevent continued discharge of raw sewage in the aquatic and marine environment in the Malir Rive and Gizri Creek.
They said, the project aimed at rehabilitating and extending the sewerage network in Landhi and Korangi areas to collect wastewater and construct an interceptor sewer to carry wastewater from the Landhi-Korangi network to the sewerage treatment plant. The project, will also explore whether there are opportunities for private sector involvement in wastewater recycling and reuse for agricultural and industrial purposes.
In 1997, the Asian Development Bank, together with the provincial government and the KWSB, agreed on a project that would provide a sewerage network and sewage treatment plant for the domestic and industrial areas of Korangi and Landhi. The officials said the project did not come to fruition primarily due to objections to the concept by some NGOs.
Other factors that had a role in suspension of the project was the KWSB’s poor financial performance and reluctance by the Government of Sindh to take on the loan, said insiders. In the meantime, officials said, the volume of wastewater flow in the past eight years has increased in line with the escalating population and industrial and commercial activity in Korangi. Officials said some elements of the proposed project – notably the long-term planning for the sewerage network – have now been taken on by other donors such as Japan International Cooperation Agency. Nevertheless, they added, ongoing work in the sector remains inadequate to address the growing problems facing KWSB.
This project was the highest priority investment based on the 1990-2000 sewerage masterplan. A study is being initiated to provide a revalidated feasibility study for the project in the light of changes made since 1997 and provide updated analysis, plans, costs and project packaging information.
The study will provide a revised set of preliminary engineering drawings and project costs, a fully revised feasibility study for the proposed project, setting out costs, benefits likely impact and a clear implementation action plan. The ADB will provide $210,000 for this exercise.
