Japanese government funded Gravity flow drinking water supply scheme doldrums as Cantonment Board Abbottabad

  Cantonment authorities have stopped the work. Japanese contractor contacted higher authorities.

 
ABBOTTABAD: The fate of the gravity flow drinking water supply scheme worth of 4.5 billion rupees, funded by Japanese government is in doldrums as Cantonment Board Abbottabad has forcibly  abandoned  its activities in its area and asked the District Coordination Officer Abbottabad to sign new agreement for the water distribution.

Member Provincial assembly from Abbottabad Innayatullah Khan Jadoon , District Coordination Officer Abbottabad Syed Imtiaz Shah, Executive  Engineer public Health Engineering Department & focal person of the project Shahid Mehmood have confirmed that Cantonment authorities have stopped the ongoing work despite  assurance for provision of water to entire cantonment area. While the Japanese contractor as well as consultants have reportedly contacted their higher authorities  and expressed their deep concern over the issue.  Interestingly  an agreement has been already signed by District government with Cantonment board  on stamp paper  in which modalities have been defined.

 Present water supply system in the city is based on tube wells and about 100 tube wells have been dug in a limited aquifer. Due to fast depletion of ground water potential, life span of tube well is very short and existing facilities have become inadequate to meet the present day water demand besides their unbearable recurring expenditure. The cost of the Gravity flow drinking water supply scheme is  Rs.4280.105 Million including Japanese Grant-in-Aid  Rs.3702.737 Million with  Local component (Federal/Provincial) Rs.577.368 Million.
The contractor of the project is Tobishima & Dai Nippon (J.V) while consultant is another Japanese firm Nihon Suido Consultants Co. Ltd. The project will serve the T.M.A Abbottabad (old Municipal committee limits i/c Kehal, Malikpura & central urban) and Service Unit Nawansher (old town committee limits)
Salhad, Sheikhulbandi, Jangi Mirpur, Dobattar, BandaPhagwarian, Banda Dilazak
BandaGhazan, LambaMaira, Derawand

 The system is based on the three out of ten tributaries of river Daur which include Namli Maira Nullah,  Giaya Nullah and Bagh/Bandi Nullah. The collective discharge of  these four streams was kept under observation for three months during 2009-10 and found more than 500 liter/sec, whereas the planned intake is 200 liters/sec.

 Cantonment executive officer Rana Kashif  when contacted  has also confirmed that they have stopped the development work just for the reason that Cantonment Board has been neglected and not included in the project. While talking with The News on  telephone, Cantonment Executive officer told that  they have provided NOC with the pre condition that water would be provided to cantonment area as well . He further told that Cantonment board has developed a new agreement in this regard and asked the DCO for signing it but the DCO has dis-own it. He claimed that they will not allow them to work until agreement would be signed by DCO Abbottabad. Executive officer is of the view that  as the water is crucial issue in the area, therefore they have asked the DCO to include Cantonment area in the project. He claimed that former DCO Zaheer-ul-islam has committed with them to sign the memorandum of understanding.

 District Coordination Officer (DCO) Abbottabad Syed Imtiaz Shah  when contacted  has denied that he has disowned any agreement and  claimed that said agreement would be wetted from provincial law department. He further told the despite assurance of providing water , cantonment authorities have stopped the developmental work which has created bad impression on Japanese as well. He was of the view that all modalities and agreements have already been made before the implementation of the project.

 The XEN Public Health Engineering department Shahid Mehmood who is focal person of the Gravity flow project told The News that they have started the developmental work after getting NOCs from all relevant departments including Cantonment Board Abbottabad . He informed that after completion of 70 % work, Cantonment Board has stopped the developmental work  and asked to include their representation in Project steering committee and provision of drinking water to cantonment area. He told that they have given them assurance that Cantonment area is already included in the project and their nominee will be included in the project stearing committee but despite all project work has been stopped  by cantonment board and get away their instruments. XEN PHED informed that Cantonment authorities have been demanding written assurance from district government in this regard for which DCO has been getting the approval of the provincial law department.

MPA from Abbottabad innayatullah Khan Jadoon  who has played active role in the implementation of the gravity flow drinking water scheme has termed the act of cantonment board unjustified and claimed that they tried their best to convince concerned authorities but all in vain.  He said that said project has taken too much time in the processes & approval  and  needs early completion. He claimed that people of the city  have been facing acute water shortage  and it is need of the hour for early completion of the gravity flow project.