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Business Recorder
10-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Water board asked to fast-track execution of K-IV project
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the K-IV Augmentation Project, expressed serious concern over a burst water line at Karachi University and instructed the water board to repair it and restore the water supply immediately. 'This is unacceptable, that every day one or the other water transmission line bursts, ultimately the citizens have to suffer, therefore it must be resolved once and for all,' he said. The meeting held at the CM House was attended by Energy Minister Nasir Shah, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Planning and Development Chairman Najam Shah, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, MD Water Board Ahmad Ali Siddiqui, and Project Director KWSSIP. At the outset of the meeting, the Chief Minister expressed his dissatisfaction and directed the water board to conduct a comprehensive survey of all old lines and develop a five-year plan for their repair/replacement. 'The water board needs to strengthen its system,' he emphasised. K-IV Augmentation: Reviewing the progress on the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV Augmentation Works, KWSSIP-II), the Chief Minister emphasised the strategic importance of the project in addressing Karachi's chronic water shortage and urged all relevant agencies to remove administrative bottlenecks immediately. The chief minister directed the Local Government Department to expedite the tendering process and secure all necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCS) to ensure that physical work on the Rs 71.8 billion K-IV Augmentation Project begins within the next three months. The K-IV Augmentation Project is being implemented by the Local Government Department with financial support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the World Bank, and the Sindh government. The project comprises multiple packages, including Package A: Water transmission main from Reservoir 1 to Y-Junction. Package B1: Transmission from Reservoir R2 to Federal Urdu University. Package B2: From Federal Urdu University to Gul Bai, and Package C: From R3 to Banaras, and a 2.7 km common corridor shared with the Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system The project's design, was finalised and reviewed by the international Austrian firm, in line with Planning Commission directives. Bid documents were prepared and are being updated by the supervision consultant. The process for hiring a Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) has already begun. The Technical and Financial Proposals' Technical Evaluation Report (TER) was approved by the World Bank. The Financial Opening took place last month, and the Contract Evaluation Report (CER) was shared with the World Bank. Following No Objection Letter (NOL) clearance, the letter of award was issued on May 6, and the contract, v is expected to be signed on May 12, 2025. To facilitate the project, 18 different agencies were approached for NOCS. So far, NOCs have been secured from seven agencies. Chief Minister Shah reiterated his commitment to accelerating the delivery of the K-IV Augmentation Project to ensure equitable access to clean drinking water for Karachi's growing population. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
College students team up to transform common waste into unique household item — here's what they did
College students are leading the transformation of paper products by inventing eco-friendly, pollution-free paper, called bio-paper, made from sugarcane, banana, rice, and corn husk waste. The students of the Department of Biotechnology of the Federal Urdu University made sure the paper was pollution-free to reduce the drastic impacts that paper production can have on the changing climate. Students explained that "paper is very little produced in Pakistan," where the university is based, and it mainly relies on imports. Deforestation is also abundant in paper production. As such, the paper materials made by the students are cheap and will protect the environment. Realizing that agricultural waste within the country is usually burned, adding to environmental pollution, students created a sustainable alternative solution using agrarian waste, like crop residues, plant fibers, and leaves. "First, the waste is collected, cleaned and sorted, then shredding and pulping are done. The sheet is formed after washing and bleaching," the Express Tribune wrote about the process. The bio-sheet, as it's been referred to, will "save water as well as significantly reduce deforestation," as the Express Tribune reported. Saving water is essential to paper production. In some nations, an "incredible 10%" of all freshwater is used to make paper — the water is used to grow trees, make pulp, and bleach paper, as Paper On The Rocks explained. The reduction of freshwater usage combined with the reduction in paper imports, deforestation, and agricultural waste, bio-paper is bound to make a significant mitigation in the environmental impacts of paper making. Environmental pollution is induced by imports of paper by countries such as Pakistan that are unable to produce a sufficient supply on their own. By sourcing production within the country, pollution is slashed. Equally, it makes the paper less expensive. Do you throw your old batteries in the trash? Yes — always Sometimes My city picks them up I recycle them myself Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Each year, about 2.1 billion tons of agricultural waste is produced. In redirecting this waste toward reusable paper products, the students are further benefitting the environment. The world produces 100 million tons of paper waste per year. As biopaper becomes more popular, the student's invention will likely have a large impact on the environment worldwide. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
