Seven firms picked for Kotri downstream studies

The government has nominated seven national and international firms for conducting two Kotri downstream studies and asked these firms to submit revised rates by February 9.
An official source in the Ministry of Water and power told Business Recorder that the technical committee on the Kotri Downstream study which met here on Monday nominated seven national and international companies for conducting the two Kotri downstream studies as a joint venture.
Chief Engineering Advisor I.B. Shaikh chaired the meeting, which was attended by the representatives of the provincial irrigation departments, officials of the Ministry of Water and Power and Indus River System Authority (Irsa).
The meeting decided to award the contract to national and international companies to accommodate Sindh demand, source maintained.
Sindh has demanded of the Flood Commission to nominate international firms for conducting Kotri Down stream studies, sources added.
The technical committee on Kotri Down stream was constituted on the directive of the Parliamentary Committee on water to evolve strategy for inviting tenders and contract awarding.
Chief Engineering Advisor is heading the Committee, which comprise the representatives of the provincial irrigation departments, Ministry of Water and Power, Planning Commission and Irsa chairman.
The Parliamentary Committee on water last month decided that two studies on water releases to check sea intrusion and ecological environment would be carried out on Kotri downstream.
The Parliamentary Committee on water has also decided a third study would be on the overall environmental impact across the country for which tender will be invited in February.
Sources said that the meeting which was held in the Flood Commission has nominated three companies for the first study to check sea intrusion including; Harza Engineering a US firm, Nespak and Associated Consultants.
Similarly for the second ecological environment study four companies including, Laymayer, a German-based company, National Development Consultants, BAK consultants and Indus Consultant have been nominated, sources added.
Sources further said that the estimated cost of these studies is Rs 45 million each while the rates presented by the firms are higher. The committee has asked the firms to bring the revised rates by February 9.
Sources said that in case the firms provide the rates by February 9 then hopefully the agreement would be signed by February 15. Both the studies would be completed in one year.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier government had invited the Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from various firms for conducting the two Kotri downstream studies but later the process was stopped due to lack of consensus on the study among the federating units.