Completion date for CETP

The Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) being constructed by the Environmental Society of Pakistan Tanners Association (ESPTA), South Zone Karachi, is due to be completed by next October. The cost of the CETP has been revised to Rs521 million rupees (about US$9.5 million) instead of an earlier estimate of Rs470 million. Out of the total amount, the share of the Export Development Fund of the Export Promotion Bureau is Rs347 million which is 67% of the whole. Gulzar Firoz, chairman of the Effluent Society of PTA, said that they were confronted with the problem of the refusal of the Sindh government to revalidate their allotment order of 75 acres of land which was given to them on May 16, 1995, free of cost for the setting up of the effluent plant. The Effluent Society is now demanding that the government restore the allotment order and also give them exemption from the Korangi Road rehabilitation charges for 15km of effluent conveyance system to the treatment plant. The Karachi Municipality Corporation (KMC) is demanding a further amount of Rs3 million for this job. Gulzar Firoz said the recent action of the provincial government has upset the financing schedule of this important project. He said that the project was to be completed within three years but excellent supervision of work has given hopes that the work may be completed within two years by October 2002. He said that following are the six components of the project: * setting up of a Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) * upgrading the effluent collection and conveyance system * provision of pre-treatment facilities in tanneries and in-house improvements * installation of chromium recovery and re-use plants in tanneries * setting up of a solid waste management programme * setting up of an occupation health and safety (OHS) programme Construction work started in February 2001. The contract for mechanical works has been awarded and the work is expected to start shortly. The tender document for electrical works is ready and the work on other components of the project such as the conveyance system is in progress.