Federal Minister for water resources, Faisal Vawda. PHOTO: PPI
CJP expresses displeasure in mineral water case
"We will have to do arm-twisting of Sindh government if they fail to take action." When asked to elaborate the term 'arm-twisting', he briefly explained that, "when electricity bill is not paid the connection is cut off but we won't cut the water supply but the tap can be slowed".
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader accused Pakistan Peoples Party's Sindh government of doing injustice with the citizens of Karachi in the distribution of water. "If I tightened valves of water, there will be a hue and cry."
According to him, the tanker mafia in connivance with the provincial government stole water worth billions of rupees from Hub, creating a shortage for the citizens while compelling others to buy expensive water. "The water board [Karachi Water and Sewerage Board] is criminally involved in this theft."
He said he would take up the issue with the Karachi Corps Commander, Sindh Rangers Director General, Sindh Police IG and Karachi police chief and would also write to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Responding to a query, the minister said the center desired to provide more water to Sindh but stressed that water theft in the irrigation system should be curbed. He said the politically-affiliated feudal lords have been stealing water from the share of the tail-end poor farmers in Sindh.
Water reservoirs: Preparation to build two small dams under way
Darawat dam
Vawda came down hard on the provincial government, accusing it of making the dam redundant by failing to complete its part of work of developing the command area. "The federal government has spent around Rs11 billion to construct the dam but Sindh government is not investing Rs1.25b to build the water courses and carry out land leveling in the command area." He added that the province is also dilly-dallying taking over operation of the dam.
According to the minister, three options are under consideration of the federal authorities, including supplying its water to Karachi or keeping the project in federal hands by spending the remaining Rs1.25b. Turning it into an amusement facility is also an option, he added.
The dam was built to store water of the natural rain-fed Nai Baran river to use it for drinking and agricultural purpose in the arid mountainous region which is part of Khirthar mountain range. Its command area includes 25,000 acres of land, of which the minister claimed around half of land is disputed.
Its storage capacity is 121,000-acre feet, but it attained the maximum storage of around 52,000 acre feet a few years ago during which over 3,000 acres crop was cultivated for the first and only time.
The project was completed in August 2014, though the former president and PPP's co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated it prior to the May, 2013, general elections. From 2014 to August, 2017, the Chinese contractor, Sino Hydro, managed the dam. According to the agreement, Sindh was supposed to take over from the Chinese company but the provincial government baulked, according to the minister. The dam was, therefore, handed over to the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).
A Wapda official said they have written to the province to take control over the dam but the latter cites a lack of capacity to operate it. "We have proposed that Wapda will train their staff and the province can take over the affairs in around six months."
Nai Gaj dam
The minister said that they are going to refer the Rs2 billion fake bank guarantee scandal, which was submitted by the dam's contractor, to the National Accountability Bureau. "This can be done in a matter of days," he said, referring to involving NAB in the scam's investigation.
The alleged fraud surfaced a few weeks ago when Wapda informed the federal secretary about the issue. The latter, in response, sent a 10-point questionnaire to Wapda to provide further details. An official, who did not want to be identified, said the contract of the existing contractor will be cancelled and a new tender for the remaining work of the dam will be advertised.
The dam was earlier scheduled to be completed by May 2015. But the delay entailed the cost overruns with the revised PC-1, raising the cost at Rs46 billion, up from Rs26 billion. "The revised PC-1 is pending approval of the planning commission, facing yet another delay," said an official.
K-IV project
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, a few days ago, blamed the centre for not releasing funds for K-IV project, which will supply an additional 250 million gallons per day water from Indus river to Karachi. However, Vawda said the center is awaiting submission of PC-1 of the project by the province for approval of the funds.
"The K-IV project was cited among the unapproved projects in the last federal budget. The new government's budget slashed it from the list along with all other unapproved projects," said an official.
According to him, the centre is most likely to provide funds for the project in the ongoing fiscal year, provided that the province submitted the PC-1 and it received approval from the authority. Sindh government is the executing agency of the project while the federal government is a co-sponsor.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2018.
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