Bureaucratic snags, illegal settlements stall sewage plants

Officials say they are waiting for CDA to regularise the land so that it can be bought

ISLAMABAD: Bureaucratic hiccups and the presence of illegal settlements in and around land designated for the construction of five sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the federal capital are proving to be a hurdle for setting up the facility.

This was disclosed by officials of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).

The local government officials said that the plants were supposed to have been installed in the catchment areas around Bari Imam, Lower and Upper Shahdara and the Simly Dam.

However, due to some technical issues to in getting the project concept-I (PC-I) approved, the project has stalled.

The idea for setting up the STPs had been first floated by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration before the Cabinet Division in 2012. The project is aimed at stopping the flow of sewage in the streams of Murree and the Korang River, both of which discharge into the Rawal Lake.

Sharing details of the project, an IMC official said that a PC-I worth Rs3.69 billion for the project had been prepared and submitted to the Planning Commission to secure the final approval for the project from the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) — once some technical observations were cleared.

The Planning Commission, however, raised some observations regarding categories, capacity and capability of the plants. These observations were answered by the consultant hired for the project.

Recently, IMC sources said that the commission had again sought an integrated water management solution, details of PC-II of the project and the current status of illegal settlements in and around the selected sites.

The IMC said that encroached land in these areas was in process of being regularised as soon as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) declares them as legal. After that, the IMC would purchase the sites by claiming the easement right, especially over water collection sites.

Moreover, finances to acquire the requisite land has already been allocated in the PC-I.

They also sought PC-II worth Rs70 million, including the cost for hiring consultants and conducting a feasibility study.

Installing the plants would primarily benefit residents of Punjab since the Rawal Lake downriver feeds into Punjab territory. However, the provincial government has yet to release 36 per cent of its share of the project.



The sources say the CDA recently committed to kick-start the project as soon as its PC-I is approved.

"We will start other procedures such as pre-qualification, inviting tenders and hiring a contractor," a CDA official said, adding that they were waiting on the approval of the PC-I.

The CDA official said that the five units will have the capacity of purifying around nine million gallons of contaminated water per day and help resolve water issues of the citizens of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

A CDA spokesperson further said that the federal government had formed a committee to decide the fate of illegal settlements in the catchment areas and would soon present its recommendations on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2018.