KARACHI - The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) on Monday responded the concerns and questions raised by KPT on Greater Sewerage Treatment Plant (S-III) regarding the collection and treatment of municipal sewage so that the project could be initiated, The Nation has learnt. The KWSB officials made a presentation on S-III plan on the following concerns of KPT so that the hurdles in the project, causing its delay for the last several years, would be removed and it could be initiated. It may be noted that Greater Karachi Sewerage Project (GKSP) is delayed for the last several years, but now in the current fiscal year, the GKSP S-III is being initiated with the collaboration of provincial and federal government. According to the project, massive work of cleaning rivers and expanding the waste water treatment facilities are given great importance as Rs300 million and Rs500 million have been earmarked in federal PSDP 2009-10. Absence of required land for the project, protection of mangroves forest, cost of the project, and some technical points were focused in the presentation and KWSB presented the solution of the concerns, which were raised by KPT. About the requirement of the land for the project, KPT was of the view that extra land at Mai Kolachi for sewerage treatment plant is not available. It was informed that the area indicated by KWSB is a mangrove forest which falls in the protected area as per ordinance on protection of mangroves trees 1952. The only viable solution to this issue is that all sewage from Clifton pumping station is pumped to the Mehmoodabad treatment plant. KPT further explained that it has shown concern over the recent increase in influx of sewage in the mangroves forest due to the diversion of discharge of Clifton pumping station towards the mangroves forest. In this regard KPT through a group of experts has, through extensive research, planned to address the issue by developing an ECO friendly wetland which would also treated 30MGD of sewage. But on the other hand, KWSB pointed out that through Geographic Information System Maps (GIS Maps) KWSB has identified that more than 118 acres of land is available at Mai Kolachi, out of which only 50 acres of the land may be required for KWSBs proposed sewage treatment plant and the remaining land may be reserved for mangroves forest. The KWSBs point of view was that this project would have positive impact on the overall marine environment which spread over thousands of acre land and socio economic benefits of the country. KWSB also clarified the KPTs question that enhancement of capacity of STP-III from 54MGD to 182MGD is wrong and it is very clear in all the KWSB presentation that the enhancement of STP-III is proposed from 54MGD to 134MGD and not 182MGD. It was explained in the presentation by KWSB that some connections of Gulberg Town and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town discharging into Lyari River would be shifted to trunk sewers inside the town to save the cost of interceptor. In case, if the land is not provided at Sohrab Goth then the interceptor will be constructed from Surjani to Treatment Plant (TP-I) and TP-III dividing the sewage treatment load according to the availability of land. Resultantly, the length of interceptor and change in process may increase the cost of the components. Therefore no municipal refuse from this catchments area will pour into Lyari River untreated. KWSB responded on KPT question that the catchments area of this section of Lyari River would continue to pour into Lyari River untreated. KPT objected there is no provision in the revised plan that treatment of sewage reaching the mangroves swamp through Soldier Bazar Nullah which is also brining in the discharge of Clifton pumping station. The heavy influx of raw sewage through this channel has caused severe damage to the mangroves forest and is also effecting the drainage of water from the mangrove area into the China Creek. The PC-I of S-III project had the provision to rehabilitate the rising main which connects Clifton pumping station to Mehmoodabad treatment plant. At present no extra land is available at TP-II for enhancement of the treatment capacity. There is no other way to treat sewage of Nehr-e-Khayam and Railway Station Nullah except to establish or construct a treatment plant at Mai Kolachi. Although KWSB technical staff and representatives of S-III consultant have rejected the proposal of KPT of construction of septic tanks, its process and procedure being primitive and non-technical. But on the insistence of KPT, it was agreed that whatever process of treatment be adopted will be the responsibility of KPT for the total treatment of 48MGD raw sewage generated through Nehr-e-Khayam, Soldier Bazar and Railway Station Nullahs and adjoining areas along with the maintenance cost and operational cost of such septic tanks forever. The KWSB further mentioned that the original plan was prepared few years ago. But at present due to unavailability of excess land to enhance the capacity of treatment at TP-11, and keeping in view the persistent loadshedding in the country, therefore the best option is to make a treatment plant at Mai Kolachi so that all sewage of Nehr-e-Khayam, Soldier Bazar Nullah and adjoining areas can be treated and disposed off safely. Sources said that according to the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, the sharing for S-III project has been decided and therefore the Greater Sewerage Treatment Plan (S-III) will be implemented. This project vital for the city environment and will definitely improve the marine life and KPTs port operations. The aim of the project is to protect and improve living conditions in the City, improve environmental condition at beaches, improve health and hygienic conditions, maintain marine ecological balance, reduce the problems in Karachi port operation caused by raw sewage disposal. Informed sources said that Karachi with an estimated population of around Rs18 million was presently facing a severe crisis and unhygienic conditions around open nullahs and drains stinking with raw sewage. Around 90 per cent of Karachi sewage is untreated and either directly or indirectly through Lyari and Malir rivers going into sea. The environmental benefits of S-III project would be clean beaches, improved health and hygienic conditions, increased fishery export, better environmental conservations, improve storm water drainage, direct and indirect employment, increased tourism.