Ravi treatment plant lags behind schedule
Garbage dump: Due to these non-functioning of sewage treatment plants, untreated municipal and industrial sewage is dumped in the Indus River and Phuleli Canal, causing hazardous pollution. PHOTO: FILE
Frequent transfers of senior officers have left the Water and Sanitation Agency unable to complete the selection of a foreign contractor for the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project as per the schedule.
According to sources, the selection process for the project initiated in 2020 was due to be completed in September.
The Faisalabad WASA had undertaken the project of the construction of the treatment plant of 44MGD in phase-1.
The government of Denmark through the Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF) is providing an interest-free loan for the project that is part of a plan to treat the River Ravi off the domestic and industrial wastewater.
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WASA Managing Director Amir Aziz said in reply to a question that Project Director Adnan Nisar had been suspended for causing delay in the tendering process and his case had been referred to the Punjab housing secretary for an inquiry.
Currently, WASA is in the process of contractor selection for the WWTP. The pre-qualification of firms had been completed in November last year and an international consultant firm from Denmark had evaluated the preliminary engineering design report with respect to the Sustainable Development Goal of ensure the access to potable water and sanitation for all.
According to the Faisalabad WASA Master Plan for 2028, the target for population having potable water is 100 per cent and the sanitation facility with wastewater treatment for 75%.
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WASA is currently providing 72% of the population with sanitation facilities but only 6% of the wastewater is being treated.
The WWTP will also help to provide treated wastewater for irrigation with the cost of the project at Rs19.071 billion as per the approved PC-1. It comprises the Denmark government’s share of Rs17.238 billion through the DSIF and local share of Rs1.833 billion by the Punjab government.
The PC-1 of the project had been approved in 2020.
During the process of awarding the contract, the WASA had posted as project directors Ikram Ullah, Saqib Raza, Muhammad Rafi and Adnan Nisar on different occasions.
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In a recent development, Adnan Nisar was suspended as the project director and replaced by Saqib Raza for the second time.
Some officials said there had been differences among the authorities regarding proceeding ahead with the lone technical contract bid submitted by a Denmark-based firm or pursuing competitive bidding.
Two foreign firms had submitted technical bid documents but only one of them participated in the bidding process.
Nisar said he had applied for leave on October 6.
A former managing director of WASA said the MDs of the organisation had also been transferred frequently during the past five years.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2023.