KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) on Wednesday informed the Sindh High Court that it had approached the provincial government for grant of Rs36.1 billion for making three sewage treatment plants (STPs) functional under the Greater Karachi Sewerage Scheme, commonly known as S-III.

The utility submitted that a detailed summary and proposals had been forwarded to the provincial government for the release of the amount from the annual development programme.

However, the finance department stated in its comments that the KWSC had its own funds and resources and it was its responsibility to meet the expenditures for making the STPs functional.

The department said in case of setting up a new combined effluent treatment plant(CETP), the utility could submit proposals to the government for consideration.

Finance dept tells SHC water utility can bear the cost from its own resources

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, directed the provincial authorities to pursue the proposals regarding the STPs and file a progress report on the next hearing.

The SHC was hearing a petition filed by some non-governmental organisations in 2017 against release of untreated effluent and industrial waste into the sea.

At the outset of the hearing, the KWSC counsel informed the bench that in the light of the previous order, the water utility had filed a report along with proposals regarding STP-I, STP-III and STP-IV and a summary of required funds for 2023-24 from ADP.

The lawyer further submitted that such proposals and summary had been forwarded to the Sindh government for approval and release of requisite funds.

However, a finance department official filed comments, stating that the KWSC had its own resources to meet its expenditures.

He submitted that all administrative departments in accordance with their need and priority could conceive new development schemes and the cost and feasibility of the proposed schemes were thoroughly examined by the planning and development department.

The official submitted that provision of funds for development schemes depended mainly on overall fiscal space available to the provincial exchequer.

The KWSC in its report argued that the S-III project was being undertaken to address the treatment of domestic sewage generated in the city through a well-integrated system of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage falling in Lyari and Malir rivers.

In 2018, the revised PC-I was approved for an overall cost of Rs36.1bn for Malir and Lyari trunk sewers, upgrade and capacity enhancement of STP-I & III from 35 to 100 million gallons per day (MGD) and 54 to 180 MGD, respectively, and construction of STP-IV of 180 MGD, it added.

The KWSC submitted that the tenders for constructing new STP-IV in Malir River were invited in 2018-19, but work could not be awarded due to funding constraints and since construction for the Malir Expressway project was going on in the Malir river basin, the sewage transmission system may need a design review/revision.

The bench, after taking the comments of the water utility and finance department on record, adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed by its office after two months.

Earlier, the KWSC had submitted that S-III was designed to treat around 500 MGD of municipal sewerage as existing sewage disposal system lacked treatment facilities and required conveyance network for the sewage to divert it to the treatment plants which was currently being discharged into the sea untreated.

It had further stated that the major component of S-III was establishment of STP-IV in Korangi area, near discharge of the Malir river into sea, along with construction of interceptors in Malir and Lyari rivers as well as expansion of STP-I (Site) and STP-III (Mauripur).

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023