Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, on Friday signed an agreement to provide technical assistance for improving water supply and sewage services in the federal capital under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
The signing ceremony was held at CDA Headquarters and was attended by Federal Secretary Interior Muhammad Khurram Agha, Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Member Planning and Design Dr Khalid Hafiz, the IFC regional director and senior officials from CDA’s Islamabad Water Agency and IFC.
Under the agreement, IFC will extend transaction advisory services to the Islamabad Water Agency for three water and sewerage-related projects to be implemented through PPPs.
Prior in-principle approval for the execution of these projects has already been granted by the CDA Board as well as the Public-Private Partnership Board.
According to officials, the advisory services are being procured in line with relevant rules and regulations. The projects aim to address long-standing issues related to water supply and sewage management in Islamabad.
Key components include improving the supply of clean drinking water, installation of water meters, reduction of non-revenue water, making water pumping systems more energy-efficient, and repair and rehabilitation of sewage lines, including sewage treatment plants.
Officials said completion of the projects would not only enhance service delivery but also significantly increase CDA’s revenue, which would be reinvested in further improving water supply in the capital.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa said that implementation of these projects under a PPP model would strengthen monitoring mechanisms and help curb water wastage.
He added that modern technology would be used to monitor all installations and water pumps of Islamabad Water, leading to improved efficiency and reliability of supply.
He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to utilising all available resources to provide residents of Islamabad with improved water and sewage facilities, and to fully benefit from the technical expertise, experience and capacity of IFC.
