CDA opens technical bids for Indus River Water project.

ISLAMABAD-The Capital Development Authority has opened financial bids on Friday to hire a consultant for the project conduction of water from Indus River for twin cities and received the lowest bid amounting Rs.843 million from a joint venture of M/s CISPDR and MMP.

earthpk.com

The authority had flouted an international tender to seek the services of the consultant. In response to the advertisement, five firms submitted technical as well as financial proposals. The technical bids were evaluated by a committee and short-listed three firms that were technically qualified.

Meanwhile, the financial bids of these firms were opened on Friday and received the lowest bid submitted by a joint venture of M/s CISPDR and MMP.

Water is the biggest challenge for Islamabad and prior preliminary studies had proposed Ghazi Barotha as a viable option. Since 2009, the matter has been delayed for one reason or the other and no progress has been made. In the meantime, the shortage of water remained a serious issue.

However, now CDA, under instructions of the federal government, has finally proceeded ahead. On Friday financial bids for the hiring of a consultant for project Conduction of Water from Indus River for twin cities and Preparation of Water and Waste Water Master Plan of Islamabad were opened.

In order to develop a perennial source of potable water supply for Islamabad and Rawalpindi which can meet present as well as future needs, project regarding Conduction of Water from Indus River System at Terbela Dam was initiated in 2004-05. Council of Common Interest (CCI) approved the project back in 2016. Ever since then, the project remained stalled.

Twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been facing acute shortage of potable water due to ever-increasing population.

In Islamabad, the main sources of water supply are reservoirs built at Simly and Khanpur dams, 192 tube wells and very few waterworks. At peak cumulative water production from these sources is around 80 million gallons per day which drop considerably during the drought period. Rawalpindi also is facing water shortage.

Furthermore, PC- I for land acquisition for the project, which will be equally shared by the Federal Government and Punjab Government, was also approved by the CDWP. The Conduction of Water Project from Indus River System will be executed on PPP mode but the land acquisition will be by federal and provincial governments with an equal share.

Earlier, in PSDP 2020-21, the federal government had already allocated Rs400 million against a total cost of Rs1,248million for the feasibility for conduction of water from Indus water system at Tarbela Dam while the full allocation of Rs3,154 million had also been made for the land acquisition of the same project.

The conduction of water from Indus Water System at Tarbela Dam to the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi is a major project to overcome the scarcity of water for twin cities and water through this pipeline would be supplied to Islamabad, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board.