Hyderabad Rain
PHOTO: ONLINE
Officials involved in the projects point out that not only is the city receiving fewer development schemes, the release and allocation of funds continues to be a major hurdle.
The construction of a road along Phuleli canal from Paretabad to Darya Khan pumping station, approved in the budget for 2017-18, has been allocated only Rs200 million. Three years on, the project will only have received slightly over half of its Rs2.138 billion cost.
"If funding continues at this pace, the project's completion will take six years," said a Hyderabad Municipal Corporation official, requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, the renovation of roads in Latifabad taluka - a project of Rs80 million approved in 2015-16 - has only been allocated Rs15 million this year. If the remaining Rs7.5 million is set aside in the next budget, this scheme, too, will only be completed in around six years.
Meanwhile, after dragging on for four years, another road project along Phuleli canal, connecting Hyderabad Bypass with Paretabed bridge, is set to finally receive its last grant of Rs254.7 million next year, from the total of Rs817 million.
No allocations have been made for the reconstruction of damaged roads in City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas.
Sewerage
Another scheme hit by delays is a mega-project to channel Qasimabad's sewerage to two still-incomplete treatment plants. Though phase II of this Rs1.3 billion project was scheduled to be completed by December, 2014, the pace of development as well as the release of funds has been sluggish. It will only receive Rs29.4 million next year, with the remaining Rs56.8 million pushed forward for the next budget.
"It seems phase III will then take another four or five years," observed an engineer associated with the project.
Similarly, another Rs1.92 billion sewerage project approved over three years ago is set to receive Rs150 million in the upcoming year, with a major chunk of funds - Rs1.14 billion - still required for its completion.
A treatment plant in Latifabad and sewerage upgrades in City taluka, too, have witnessed smaller budgetary allocations, delaying their completion.
Water supply
Meanwhile, funding for the rehabilitation of 400MGD pre-settlement lagoons of the district's largest filtration plant has also been lethargic. With Rs50 million released this year and Rs60 million earmarked in the upcoming year, the Rs684.3 million project will have received less than 20 per cent of the necessary funds in two years.
The budget has further set aside Rs100 million for a Rs817.5 million water filtration plant project in Hussainabad, Rs20 million for the rehabilitation of the old water filtration plant on Jamshoro road and Rs30 million for the rehabilitation of a filtration plant in Paretabad.
And while the Sindh government approved Rs400 million to replace City taluka's disintegrating water supply system in 2018, only Rs75 million have been released so far, with an allocation on Rs50 million in the next year. Another Rs274.7 million will be needed to complete the much-needed project, which promised an end to water contamination in several localities.
Solid waste
The burning of solid waste near residential localities is one of the unaddressed environmental and health concerns for citizens. For two years, government officials have propped up hopes of developing landfill sites in Jamshoro and bringing an end to the dumping of solid waste within the city.
Yet the project has seen no development except for the land allocation as the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, controlled by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, opposes the transfer of solid waste disposal functions to the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board. Meanwhile, the Sindh government has earmarked only Rs62 million for the Rs461.9 million landfill project - less than 15 per cent of the total cost.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2020.
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