KARACHI, Aug 8: A presentation regarding proposed 20mgd water desalination plant at Keamari was given to a high-powered meeting here on Monday at the Governor House.

Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ibad, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri, Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Shoaib Bukhari, Advisor to Chief Minister on Local Government Waseem Akhtar, KPT chairman Admiral Hayat, Secretary of Industries, Chairman of SITE Association Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, MD of KWSB and MD of KESC and MD of SITE were present.

The presentation was made by a US Company, Provital International Inc., for the installation of 20-MGD seawater desalination plant at Keamari to supply drinking-quality water to the industrials of SITE through their dedicated pipeline.

The project is based on 100 per cent buy back arrangements with SITE Association of Industries represented by Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig to purchase 20 mgd of water at the rate of Rs.111 per 1000 gallons.

According to Dr. Baig at present the water requirement of SITE industries is 30 mgd, of which the KWSB is giving 5 to 6 MGD to the SITE Industries and the remaining requirement is met by tankers, which is not only expensive but water is also not of good quality.

The proposed project will be installed at Keamari, which will also produce 100 mw power through wind-mill technology for which KPT is providing them land. Cost of the project for water desalination is Euro 49 million and the cost of the power generation project is Euro 100 million, bringing the total cost of the project to Euro 149 million that is about Rs.3.5 billion.

The project is on BOT basis against the buy back guarantee of SITE association and KESC for the purchase of water and power produced.

The project can start 25 per cent production by December if the power purchase agreement is finalized by Aug 20. After the completion of 25 years, the project will be handed over to KPT in return of KPT giving them land for their project.

According to Dr Baig main reason for the losses to SITE is supply of water free of cost to residential colonies, Madressahs, mosques, police stations and other government non-industrial units located in SITE area ,who regularly take water from the quota of SITE but do not pay.

—PPI