KARACHI:
The federal government’s proposal to bring the construction sector under a comprehensive development and regulatory framework, including greater accountability of consultants for design and technical failures, is long overdue. This reform should, however, be implemented with particular urgency in Sindh, where large public projects have repeatedly suffered from design changes, cost escalation, delays and weak accountability.
A case in point is K-IV water supply project which has witnessed repeated design and alignment changes, prolonged delays and enormous escalation in its estimated cost.
The issue is not to blame consultants for every failure. Rather, the fundamental question is: who is accountable when a project is designed on inadequate surveys, faulty estimates, defective geotechnical assessments or unrealistic technical assumptions? At present, the public exchequer frequently bears the consequences through revised PC-Is, variation orders, additional works and extended completion periods, while the consultant’s professional responsibility often ends with submission of the design.
In Sindh, consultants are routinely engaged not merely for drawings but for feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, BOQs, cost estimates, tender documents and construction supervision. Their decisions therefore directly influence the initial project cost and, subsequently, the financial liability of government. The provincial procurement framework itself demonstrates the extensive role consultants play in designing and supervising major infrastructure projects.
The proposed reforms should therefore establish a clear chain of professional accountability. Consultants should be contractually responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of surveys, designs, specifications, quantities, cost estimates and technical advice. Independent design review should be mandatory for major projects before tendering, while material design changes during execution should require documented technical justification and accountability.
The proposed extension of the defect liability period from one to three years — and eventually five years — is welcome. But accountability must begin before construction, not after defects appear. A defective design can waste billions long before a construction defect becomes visible.
Sindh urgently needs this reform for its roads, water-supply schemes, drainage infrastructure, flood rehabilitation, urban transport and other development projects. The government should ensure that when a project fails because of a defective design, inadequate professional advice or negligent supervision, responsibility does not end with the contractor or the executing department. The consultant who designed it must also answer for it.
Raja Masroor Hassan
Karachi
