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Drainage project

cost swells 62pc

TANVIR ZAHID

LAHORE: The cost of Wapda's Fordwah Eastern Sadiqia Remaining Surface Drainage Project, located in districts of Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur in the Punjab, has increased substantially by 62 percent while still in the implementation stage.

According to information available to Bussiness Recorder in Lahore on Monday from well-informed sources, the project capital cost has increased to Rs.2118.591 million from original estimates of Rs.1304.304 million and period of implementation has also been extended three times almost from four years to ten and a half years now.

The capital cost of the project will be federally financed from allocations made under Drainage and Reclamation sub-sector in the 8th Five Year Plan.

The project encompasses a gross area of 618577 acres, including culturable command area of 571214 acres and canal command area of 536641 acres and falls in alluvial plain, comprising moderately course to moderately fine with a marked dominance of sandy loam and fine sandy loam textured soil.

The soil salinity survey shows that 84 percent of the area is salt free, 8 percent slightly saline, 3 percent moderately saline and 3 percent strongly saline.

As for as water table depth is concerned, 68.81 percent of the area lies within 0 to 5 feet water table depth to surface and 15.80 percent within 5 to 10 feet from the surface.

The project's major objective of which is to improve surface drainage of agricultural lands and to provide protection from surface runoff, was approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) in October 1987 at an estimated cost of Rs.1304.904 million for completion in four years from 1987-88 to 1989-90.

It was decided then that financing of various components of the project, including lining of channels and distributories would be determined later on by the Ministry of Water and Power in consultation with the Finance Division.

However, the sources pointed out, the project could not be completed according to the originally scheduled programme because of inadequate release of funds; stay orders obtained by the land owners and change in alignment of drain; land acquisition problem due to paucity of funds; abandonment of on-going contracts by contractors due to non-payment of their bills; heavy rain and floods during 1992 and; late commencement due to delayed approval and late employment of the consultants and preparation of design/tender documents.

Not only the project cost has increased by as much as Rs.813.687 million on the whole, the approved physical scope has also been changed and the experts in the Planning Commission had asked Wapda to respond as to why approval of the competent fora was not sought before embarking on the unapproved changed scope of work and also fully justify increase of 78.95 percent in cost of land as the Wapda was involved in such projects since 1959 and faced acquisition of land problems many a times during this period.