Sindh CM, WB regional director discuss urban, rural water projects of over $1 billion

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank Regional Director for South Asia Johan Roome met on Friday at the CM House and discussed the provincial government’s development priorities and how the bank could support them.

The others in the bank’s delegation were Lixin Gu, the programme leader, and Namoos Zaheer, the senior financial sector specialists. Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro and Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi also attended the meeting.

The chief minister, spelling out his priorities, said that he had equally focused on the development of urban and rural areas. The urban areas needed drinking water and water for industrial requirements, while the rural areas were in need of an efficient agricultural water system for growth of the agro-sector, he added.

Mobility project

Shah said that the other important project was yrban transport projects under which a 21-km Yellow Line Corridor had to be developed with the assistance of the World Bank under the name of the Karachi Mobility Project (KMP).

The Yellow Line Corridor from Dawood Chowrangi to Numasih has three components. They are a road project (façade to façade) and development and operationalization of a bus rapid transit system and capacity building and building assistance.

The chief minister said that the World Bak had approved a loan of $382 million in June 2019 and the loan agreement was signed on November 2019.

Speaking of progress on the project, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem said that the project director would be appointed very soon. The provincial government was in the process of appointing six procurement specialists.

Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi pointed out the provincial government with the World Bank had trained 550 procurement officers of Grade BS-17 and six of them would be posted in the project.

The World Bank regional director was told that the terms of reference (ToR) for the position of director and procurement specialists were ready and would be advertised within a month. The account of the project was being opened for which most of the formalities had been completed.

Water board project

The chief minister discussed the World Bank-assisted Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project said it was aimed at improving access to safe water services in the city and boosting the KWSB’s financial and operational performance.

It was pointed out that the loan was signed in December 2019. It is a total $100 million projects in which $40 million would be provided by the IBRD, another $40 million by the AIIB and $20 million by the Sindh government.

Shah said that under the project there would be utility reforms and rehabilitation of the water and sewerage network. Talking about progress of the work, he said that the KWSB had been reconstituted, a steering committee had been established, the PD of the project had been posted and the World Bank had approved a procurement document of $6 million.

They also discussed the Second Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project of $600 million of which $240 million would be given by the IBRD, $240 million by the AIIB and $120 million by the Sindh government.

Shah said that this component included K-IV augmentation, bulk supply options and installation of new filtration plants. Waseem said that the chief minister had approved the investment plant to share it with the World Bank.

Sind water project

The chief minister and the World Bank regional director also discussed Sindh Water Sector Improvement of $257.6 million. The objective of the project is to improve efficiency and effectiveness of irrigation water distribution in three main canals, Ghotki, Nara and Left Bank, with asset management and future planning components.

Shah said that feasibility studies for rehabilitation and modernisation of the Guddu Barrage were being conducted. He said that the modernising the irrigation/multi-sectorial water infrastructure covering 1.8 million hectares would be developed.