20000129

Work on combined effluent treatment plant re-starts

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Work on the combined effluent treatment plant (CETP) project for Korangi tanneries has been re-started after settlement of issues relating to funding of the project and provision of technical inputs for its implementation.

In this connection, an agreement has been finalised with a consortium of design consultants. This has led to start of work for detailed designing of the plant, discussions were held between a team of the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) led by Gulzar Feroz, chief executive of the project, and the chairman of the PTA (Sindh Zone), environmental sub-committee and a team comprising senior officials of the consulting consortium.

The Korangi project, which was to be implemented with Dutch financial assistance, was put on hold due to non-release of Dutch funds. After going through a very cumbersome and time consuming process, it was finally concluded that it was not practically possible to go ahead with the project based on Dutch funding.

Subsequently, based on a contingency plan, the tanners prepared a revised project to be financed exclusively through local resources. On the basis of this plan, additional funding for the project has been approved by the Export Development Fund (EDF).

The revised project's cost is estimated to be about Rs 500 million out of which EDF funding would be about Rs 330 million. The balance will be mobilised by PTA Sindh Zone from its members. The Sindh government has already given 15 acres of land for the project free of cost. As per revised plans, the CETP will be constructed and commissioned over the next 3 years.

Recently, a team from Haskoning, the Dutch consulting firm which has been associated with the project since its start, paid a visit to the project. During the visit plans regarding implementation of the project were finalised and an agreement was reached. According to this Haskoning, along-with their local counterpart National Environmental Consulting, will provide all required technical inputs for the project. The plant will cater 170 tanneries and the treated effluent will meet requirements of the NEQS.