KARACHI: After the severe water shortage in Thar Desert, Sindh government has installed reverse osmosis (RO) plants across desert, but due to the corruption and mismanagement, almost half of the installed plants are now nonfunctional, despite that Sindh government wants to extend the project to install more RO plants in the desert.
During a meeting held on Monday to review the progress of installation of RO Plants and converting them on solar-based energy, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced to extend the project of installation of RO plants.
During the meeting Shah admitted that he has reports that some of the plants have failed to work and some others have capacity issues. “All these issues must be addressed through technical and scientific approach.”
Secretary Special Initiative department Aijaz Ali Khan while giving the presentation said that in the phase-I, 500 plants were installed between 2012 and 2015 for Rs 2.44 billion. Out of 500 plants, 393 are operational and providing water to 1.63 million people. He added that so far 68 RO plants have been converted on solar energy while work on others is in progress.
He said that in phase-II 750 RO plants are being installed for Rs 4 billion. Out of 531 RO plants have been installed of them 379 have been made functional. He added that the solarisation of 135 plants is in progress. 17 more RO plants would be made functional if their bores are made deep.
It was informed during the meeting that the third phase of installation of 750 RO plants had started in 2014 for Rs 5.49 billion and is scheduled to complete in 2018. So far 525 RO plants have been installed, of them 430 are functional. The solarisation work of 27 ROI plants was in progress.
It was pointed out that in phase-I & II some 1050 RO plants are being turned on solar energy and so far work on 600 units have been completed. The solarisation of Manora RO (Desalination) Plant launched for Rs 427 million is in progress.
The participants of the meeting were informed that in phase-III 750 Plants are being installed at Tharparkare are 145 units at Mithi, 136 at Islamkot, 131 at Chhachro, 129 at Dahli, 71 at Diplo and 95 at Nagarparkar. Out of 707 RO plants, 550 have been installed, of them 125 are functional at Mithi, 108 at Islamkot, 68 at Chhachro, 50 at Dahali, 42 at Diplo and 37 at Nangarparkar. On this the chief minister said that it means 277 RO plants are nonfunctional in Tharparkar on which he asked the secretary to submit him a repot with reasons in detail.
The meeting was informed that at present out of 118 RO plants 107 are operational in district Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, Thatta and Sujawal. The installation of another 11 RO plants are in progress. The capacity of the plants is 11,580,000 USGPD to benefit the population of 122,489.
Secretary Irrigation Syed Jamal Shah told the meeting that his department has installed 23 RO plants in 23 villages of Jamshoro and Dadu districts for Rs 234.574 million and all of them are functioning properly. All the plants are based on solar system, he added.
PHE&RDD: Secretary Public Health Engineering & Rural Development Department (PHE&RDD) Tamizuddin Khero giving presentation to the chief minister said that their department has installed 49 RO plants in nine different districts, of them 41 are functional and eight are un-functional for want of power connection.
He said that the RO plants installed at Rohri (three units), Pano Aqil (three units) and one at Tando Allahayar are un-functional because their powers connection by Sepco are awaited. “We have paid demand note for their power connections to Sepco. As soon as their power connections are installed they would be made functional.
He added that as far as the RO plant of Jati is concerned it is non-functional due to major variation in ground water chemistry in terms of TDS. He added that sea water membrane are required to make the plants functional. On this the chief minister directed him to take necessary measure to make it functional and report him.
Published in Daily Times, July 25th 2017.
