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Thursday March 28, 2024

CM Murad deplores federal govt attitude for deleting S-III from its uplift program

Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani briefing the chief minister said that the S-III project was aimed at improving environmental and sanitation conditions of Karachi through a well-integrated system of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage.

By Web Desk
June 03, 2019

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the federal government has backed out of its commitment to share 50 percent of the total expenditures of Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (S-III) which is an injustice with the people of Sindh.

He said that he would fight out to get committed share from the federal government in the larger interest of the people of Karachi.

This he said on Monday while presiding over a meeting regarding completion of S-III project here at Committee Room No.2 of CM House. The meeting attended by Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Member Services P&D Khalid Mahmood, acting MD KWSB Ghulam Qadir, Hanif Baloch PD S-III and other concerned officers.

Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani briefing the chief minister said that the S-III project was aimed at improving environmental and sanitation conditions of Karachi through a well-integrated system of collection, treatment and disposal of sewage. He added that the existing sewage disposal system lacked treatment facilities and requires conveyance network for sewage to divert it to the treatment plants which are currently being disposed of into the sea.

Chairperson P&D said that the project was approved by ECNEC for Rs 7.98 billion in September 2007 under which the federal government had to share 50 percent cost of the project and the reaming 50 percent was to be borne by the provincial government.

The scheme was revised and was approved by ECNEC at Rs 36.11 billion on February 7, 2018. The project has two components, Lyari River Basin of Rs 21.31 billion and Malir River Basin of Rs 14.799 billion were included.

The scope of the S-III project as revised has been enhanced that’s why its cost has increased. The projects encompasses the transmission of flowing sewage in Lyari and Malir River Basin through underground RCC conduit and its treatment at sewage Treatment Plants, before its ultimate disposal into the sea. 

In Malir and Lyari Rivers Basin along with enhancement and construction of Treatment Plants, Malir Trunk Sewer, Lyari Trunk sewer and upgradation and capacity enhancement of sewage treatment plant at Haroonabad SITE from 51 to 100 MGD. Upgradation and capacity enhancement of sewage Treatment Plant at Maripur from 54 to 180 MGD and construction of new Sewae Treatment Plant at Korangi of 180 MGD.

Giving current status of Lyari River Basin works, the chief minister was told that rehabilitation of TP-III for 77 MGD have been completed. Five different packages of Sewage Transmission in length of 20.151 kms are substantially completed. The contract package of LS-1, LS-2 & LS-III of 13.169 kms have been awarded in March. Contract package of TP-1, rehabilitation phase has been completed by 55 percent and stage-II expansion works have been achieved by 12 percent.

Malir River Basin: The contract package of MS-1 to MS-III for sewerage transmission for an overall length of 14.950 kms have been advertised and its bid evaluation reports have been hoisted on SPPRA wedsite. Contract package of MS-4 to MS-6 for sewage transmission of 10.091 km have also been advertised and the bid received have been sent to Procurement Committee for Evaluation report. The bid for contract package TP-IV on design, build and operate basis has been cancelled and now retendering is being made on construction contract basis.

The chief minister said that Lyari River Basin where 77 MGD was being treated should be treated further and provided to SITE for industrial purposes. He also directed Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah to talk to Public Private Partnership Unit to work out a plan to invite private partners for tertiary effluent for industrial consumption.

Murad Ali Shah said that with the completion of S-III there would be clean coastal water, it would improve overall health and hygiene conditions which would boost fishery export. It would help in conservation of marine ecology.

The chief minister concluding the meeting vowed to fight out the case of Karachi and would force the federal government to fulfil its commitment of providing 50 percent funds.

Excise & Taxation dept to digitalize vehicle registration books

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a meeting has directed Excise & taxation department to introduce readable digital cards in place of vehicles registration books.

He said that the registration books of vehicles have been obsolete all over the world. “We should take benefit from modern technology and introduce readable cards on the pattern of banks so that their details can be read during checking,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Minister Excise & Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Secretary Excise Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, DG Narcotics of E&T dept Shoaib Siddiqui, DG Excise Shabir Shaikh and others.

Minister Excise Mukesh Chawla told the chief minister that the Excise & Taxation department was given a recovery target of Rs72872 million against which they would achieve by the end of this month.

The Excise & Taxation depat recovers seven taxes, including Motor Vehicle tax, Excise Enactment, Infrastructure Cess, Cotton Fee, Professional Tax, Property Tax and Entertainment Duty.