KARACHI: The long and troubled saga of Karachi’s mega sewerage project, S-III (Sewerage Treatment Project-III), has taken yet another dramatic turn. Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has reportedly approved the removal of Nizamuddin Shaikh, the ninth Project Director of S-III – a move allegedly orchestrated by the project’s influential contractor.
Sources within the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) confirmed that the project – mired in corruption, inefficiency, and chronic mismanagement – has now seen nine project directors come and go, yet remains far from completion.
“Nine Project Directors changed, but the project never moved an inch forward.”
Among those who previously held the position are Misbahuddin Farid, Imran Asif, Imtiaz Magsi, Noor Muhammad, Afzal Zaidi, Hanif Baloch, Owais Malik, Zaheer Shaikh, and now the recently ousted Nizamuddin Shaikh.
According to insiders, every incoming project director faced contractor resistance, political pressure, and financial irregularities. Each time, inquiries were buried, reports shelved, and the project’s progress stalled once again.
Contractor’s Grip and Consultants’ Silence: Millions Paid Without Work
Well-placed sources allege that the project’s consultants, Techno Consultants, played an equally questionable role.
The Consultant Resident Engineer (CRE) Arshad Farooqi and Dr. Bashir Lakhani reportedly did little beyond issuing a few formal notices to the contractor over poor performance and delays – without taking any meaningful or punitive action.
Their inaction allegedly gave the contractor a free hand, leading to the release of millions of rupees in payments for work that was either substandard or never completed at all.
Sources claim the consulting firm “Techno” compromised professional integrity for minor personal gains, effectively becoming an enabler of corruption instead of a guardian of public funds.
Eight Years of Delay – and Rs13 Billion Down the Drain
The S-III project, initiated to treat Karachi’s sewage before its discharge into the sea, involved 10 contractors, of whom eight completed partial works up to the Lyari River.
However, the treatment plants at TP-I Haroonabad/Shershah and TP-III Mauripur remain incomplete.
Despite the expenditure of Rs13 billion, Karachi continues to be submerged in polluted drains and foul-smelling wastewater.
Internal reports from the Water Corporation reveal systemic corruption, including the sale of project machinery, theft of major motors, and misappropriation of operational funds.
The city’s 42-kilometre coastal belt has officially been declared “severely contaminated”, while the Mauripur treatment plant, inaugurated by former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on July 22, 2018, remains unfinished seven years later.
With no clear timeline for completion, officials now expect project costs to double due to the rise in the dollar exchange rate and continued funding delays.
Dismissed PD’s Revelation: “No Environmental Budget Was Ever Allocated!”
Removed Project Director Nizamuddin Shaikh confirmed that key operational sectors were completely overlooked:
“There was no defined budget for mechanical, electrical, or environmental components in S-III.
There’s no system for maintenance, security, or supervision – machinery theft and damage have become routine.”
New Chapter: TP-IV Korangi to Be Built Under Public-Private Partnership
According to sources, the proposed TP-IV Korangi Unit will now be executed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The plant has been divided into two segments:
Construction cost: Rs34 billion for the plant
Conduit line to Malir River: Rs25 billion
The five-track sewer conduit will span 22.74 kilometres along the Malir River.
The Unanswered Questions Remain
Eight years, nine directors, two consultants, Rs13 billion spent – yet Karachi remains drowning in its own sewage.
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