KARACHI:
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly was informed on Wednesday that the Rs 61,985 crore Right Bank Outfall Drainage-II (RBOD-II) project has been declared unviable and structurally compromised, despite the expenditure of over Rs 40 billion, prompting the Provincial Irrigation Department to refuse to continue working on the scheme.
The 273-kilometer project, which stretches from Sehwan to the Arabian Sea, has remained stalled since 2015, mainly due to the absence of a consultant and shortage of financial resources. Officials told the committee that completing the project would now require an additional Rs 300 billion, raising serious concerns about its viability.
The PAC, which met under the chairmanship of Nisar Khuhro, directed the provincial government to devise a plan to set up a desalination and recycling plant near Lake Manchar to treat toxic effluents flowing from RBOD-I and RBOD-III. The committee also called for resumption of work on RBOD-II and directed the chief secretary to ensure immediate appointment of a consultant.
During the session, Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero informed the participants that the department had taken a political decision to stop work on RBOD-II, citing extensive structural damage caused by floods and deteriorating status of the project.
He said the plan could not proceed until the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) sets up a recycling plant to prevent untreated toxic water from entering the Manchar lake. A meeting with the WAPDA president is scheduled for July 16 to discuss the issue.
Khero further stated that the alignment of RBOD-II, which passes through the Indus River, has added to its technical challenges, making the project increasingly unviable.
Expressing concern, PAC Chairman Khuhro questioned why the authorities had not forced the WAPDA over the years to set up the required treatment facility. “If the government has decided to abandon the project, it should formally announce its closure,” he said, adding that the committee would then stop further scrutiny.
Committee member Qasim Soomro warned that untreated effluents flowing through lakes Hamal and Manchar could pollute not only the lakes but also the Indus River, posing a serious environmental threat.
The PAC reiterated that RBOD-II remains a critical project for Sindh and urged the provincial government to prioritize measures for safe disposal and treatment of saline water. According to officials, the RBOD project was launched in 2001 with an initial cost of Rs 14 billion, which was later revised several times to Rs 61,885 billion.
