THE Sindh chief minister has said that wastewater treatment plants will be set up at a cost of Rs3.586 billion at 726 major points for the treatment of municipal wastewater before its discharge into the water bodies. In the first phase, work will start at 221 points.

This is meaningless for technical people. For example, some years ago, we were informed that a wastewater treatment plant had been established at SITE, Kotri, for the treatment of Kotri industries’ wastewater.

It was, later found that oxidation ponds were established for the treatment of Kotri industrial wastewater. Since oxidation ponds cannot treat industrial wastewater, pollution in the recipient water body (KB Feeder Canal) continued.

Another example: the Judicial Commission’s report of Feb 2017 states: “there appears no justification to continue with these R.O. (reverse osmosis) plants and spend millions and millions of rupees blindly on their so-called O&M, when we neither know the quality of the water being supplied from these plants nor the quantity against which we are making payments.” (pp43). RO plants are not suitable for municipal water supply. So, the Rs4.9 billion allocation will be a waste of money.

These examples show that it is the technology used which determines a project’s success.

In Sindh, an overseer develops a water and wastewater project that goes all the way to the P&D department for approval. What technical excellence and appropriateness can be expected from an overseer?

In Bangkok, not a single water or wastewater project is non-functional. The reason is the Bangkok’s Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, Wastewater Management Authority, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration are staffed with personnel having a master’s degree in water and wastewater engineering.

If the capacity building cannot be done, then the best course is to outsource the projects.

F. H. Mughal

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2018