CM, WB review progress in projects being carried out with donor agency’s assistance

karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a 14-member delegation of the World Bank (WB) led by its Country Director Najy Binhassine on Friday reviewed the progress in WB-funded development projects being carried out in the province.

The meeting to review the projects was held at the CM House and also attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Sardar Ali Shah and Jam Khan Shoro, along with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to the CM Agha Wasif and relevant secretaries.

KWSSIP

The meeting was told that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP) had three main components — Operational Reform with a budget of $7 million, Infrastructure Investments with a budget of $77 million and Project Management and Studies with a budget of $16 million.

It was said that the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) was on track to achieve 90 per cent commitments by the end of July.

A condition for the project was that the supply contract for the water flow meters was tendered by May 2, 2024, and limited international bidding was allowed by the WB in April 2024, subject to certain conditions.

The meeting was told that the bidding documents were being finalised and they would be sent directly to limited potential bidders by May 7. The delivery of customer and bulk flow meters was expected by November.

K-IV Augmentation

The cost for the K-IV Augmentation project has been estimated at $256 million. The WB delegation was informed that a joint timeline had been submitted by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Water and Power Development Authority and Sindh irrigation department.

The timeline included mitigation options for any delays and a plan for interim water balances throughout the project construction phase.

The irrigation department shared a detailed engineering design and hydrological analysis supporting the Kalri Baghar Feeder Unit (KBFU) rehabilitation with the WB. Additionally, the department was currently in the process of awarding the contract for the rehabilitation of the Kalri Baghar Feeder.

Mobility Project

The Karachi Mobility Project (KMP) comprises three main components — Urban Road Infrastructure Yellow Corridor costing $172 million, Development and Operationalisation of Yellow Corridor costing $260 million, and Capacity Building and Technical Assistance costing $6 million.

Regarding the road infrastructure component of the KPM, the Jam Sadiq Bridge and another new bridge would be constructed as part of the Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor. The World Bank team was informed that the design work for Jam Sadiq Bridge and the new bridge was under way and would be completed by June 2024.

The transport department informed the World Bank team that the procurement process for the construction of the Yellow Line depot would begin after the opening of financial bids.

The Yellow Line BRT project has been divided into three sub-packages and two slots. Design and bidding documents for six kilometres of the lot 1 and another six kilometres for the lot 2 would be submitted to the WB by May 10 and July 31 respectively.

The request for bids has been scheduled for June 15.

CLICK

The Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project has five components with a total budget of $230.20 million. These include Performance-Based Grants for Local Councils and Capacity Building worth $140.40 million, Modernising Urban Property Tax Administration and System worth $40.4 million, Improvement of Business Environment worth $20.20 million, Technical Assistance for Solid Waste Management worth

$2.00 million and Emergency Response Component worth $27 million.

During a recent meeting with the World Bank team, it was disclosed that all but one of the 23 sub-projects contracted out by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for the CLICK project had been completed. The remaining sub-project was currently under way and scheduled to be completed by May 5, 2024.

Other projects

The WB was informed that the request for bid (RFB) for the Property Tax Survey in Karachi had been published and the bids would open on May 23, 2024, after the bank's Net Operation Loss (NOL). The selected firm would be on board by June 30, 2024.

It was said that the Sindh Integrated Health and Population Project (SIHPP) had been launched to improve the utilisation and quality of basic reproductive maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health for poor and vulnerable populations, particularly women and children in targeted areas of the province. Contracts for 60 ambulances, 30 mobile medical vans and five mobile laboratories had been signed for the project, it was said.