KARACHI: The Public Private Policy (PPP) Board in its 32nd board meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday approved a number of key projects for the province, particularly the metropolis.
These include Mauripur Expressway, link road to Korangi, water supply schemes, Lyari sewerage system, LDA scheme, five MGD desalination plant and construction of canal from Nabisar to Vajira on public private partnership basis.
The meeting was held at CM House and was attended by provincial ministers and officials concerned, along with the NED University vice chancellor.
Mauripur Expressway
The board discussed construction of Mauripur Expressway (ME). The chief minister said that the ME was expected to provide a speedy access to Karachi’s beaches and it would be completed in two years. “It will bring an end to traffic congestion in the area,” he added.
Link road to Korangi
The meeting was informed that the project was 11.5km long to provide speedy access to Korangi Industrial area. It would be completed in two years right from start of the project. The project includes construction of internal roads and a bridge within the city.
Hub water supply
The meeting was told that the Karachi-Hub water supply system consisted of the broad components such as Hub Dam constructed in 1981 with a live storage capacity of 656,000 acre feet.
It was informed that the eight-kilometre main canal was owned and operated by Wapda coming from the Hub Dam.
Head regulator has been installed at the point which the main canal splits into Karachi Hub Canal (going towards Karachi) and Lasbela Canal (going towards district Lasbela in Balochistan); 63.3 per cent of the incoming water is allocated to Karachi Canal while the remaining 36.7pc is supplied to Lasbela.
Karachi Hub Canal is a 22.4km stretch with a capacity of 100MGD from the head regulator to the city being operated by KWSB. The canal stretch has significant erosion and structural failure causing water losses.
There are two pump houses to pump the water from the canal through the rising mains to the filtration plant. The old pump house is not functional and the new one has surpassed its design life.
The meeting was informed that two-km long pipes were taking the water to the filtration plant. The pipes are 38 years old and have not been replaced since. The filtration plant has a treatment capacity of 80MGD and is mostly not functional. It has a solar power plant with a capacity of 6MW.
The policy board approved the project. The provincial government would talk to the Wapda authorities to share the cost.
Lyari sewerage
The meeting was informed that Lyari Sewerage Rehabilitation Project (LSRP) had 14 pumping stations and sewerage systems of various sizes and capacities in Lyari and its adjoining areas to pump sewage against gravity through nullahs and rising mains.
It was informed that all the pumping stations and interconnected sewerage network, including main trunk sewers, sub-main sewers were in extremely dilapidated state, barely functional and in dire need of rehabilitation.
The chief minister said that the sewerage system in Lyari and its adjoining areas needed to be revamped, primarily all the pumping stations, main sewer trunks and risings mains.
LDA scheme
The meeting was informed that the LDA Scheme 42 was established in 1994. The initial development of the project was carried out via funds raised through allotment of plots.
The development of the project decelerated primarily due to shortage of funds and non-mutation of land in LDA’s favour. The LDA intends to develop a strategy through the assistance of consultants to revive the entire scheme and develop infrastructure and utility networks under PPP mode.
Nabisar to Vajihar water project
The meeting was told that the provincial government required investment in laying the water infrastructure for IPPs in Thar block-I for generation of 1,650MW of power by constructing a canal from the Farsh regulator to Nabisar for discharge of 200 cusecs water.
It was said that out of 200 cusecs, 45 cusecs had to be supplied to IPPs of Thar block-I.
Considering the significant cost of construction and the deadline, the Sindh cabinet decided to undertake this project through PPP mode. A private firm has submitted a proposal for development and operation of the water supply facility.
Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021