Navy seeks Sindh’s support to build 60mgd treatment plant

The Pakistan Navy has requested the Sindh government to provide the necessary support to its plan of building a 60mgd wastewater treatment plant to save the marine environment around Karachi’s coast that is otherwise constantly being harmed due to the uninterrupted discharge of industrial effluents into the sea.

The request was conveyed by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf during his meeting with caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar at the CM House on Tuesday. Ashraf told Baqar that the navy has joined hands with the Karachi Port Trust to build the treatment plant near the city’s coastline. He said that certain unresolved issues concerning the provincial government need to be resolved for building the project.

He also said that the proposed project would be part of the S-III sewage treatment project for the city. The untreated discharge of industrial effluents into the sea not only causes marine pollution but also harms the ships docked at the Karachi port, he added.

Baqar assured him that he would consider the project despite litigation concerning the land of the Mai Kolachi bypass. He said the provincial government has also launched projects for the treatment of industrial effluents. He also said funds have been reserved for the S-III project, stressing the need to expedite the execution of the effluent treatment project. The federal government also has a project for the treatment of industrial wastewater, he added. Ashraf stressed the need to enhance the capacity of the Karachi Fish Harbour due to the increasing number of fishing boats. Baqar assured him that the provincial government would take steps for the expansion of the fish harbour.

He also assured him that the provincial government would provide whatever assistance is required for the Sino-Pak Refinery the Bahria Foundation has been building in partnership with China. The interim CM said he would issue directives to the officials concerned for the completion of the necessary formalities so that the navy could start operating the Kakar Cadet College built by the provincial government in District Dadu.