CDA opens financial bids for Rawal Dam sewage treatment plants

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has opened financial bids for a project involving the construction of three sewage treatment plants (STPs) aimed at preventing untreated sewage from flowing into Rawal Dam.

The project envisages treating wastewater flowing into the Korang River and other streams within the Rawal Dam catchment area. Although the scheme was proposed several years ago, it has yet to be formally launched due to limited annual allocations.

According to budget documents, the project has a total estimated cost of Rs6.07 billion, while the federal government has allocated Rs449 million for fiscal year 2026-27. Given the current level of funding, the project is expected to take considerable time to complete even if work begins during the current financial year.

CDA sources said the civic agency was initially likely to begin work on one of the treatment plants in Banigala.

Under the financing arrangement, 64 per cent of the project cost will be provided by the federal government and 36 per cent by the Punjab government, sources said.

Bids for STP-I

For STP-I, a joint venture of Kashmir Pre-Engineered Construction (KAPEC) and Matracon submitted the lowest bid of around Rs2.9 billion.

Under alternative Option-II, Lingzhi Astral submitted the lowest bid of approximately Rs2.834 billion. A CDA official said the authority would examine the Option-II bids before taking a final decision.

Two other joint ventures, ZKB-Beihang and Elite Engineering Orient, also participated in the bidding process, but their quoted prices were higher.

For STP-II, KAPEC-Matracon submitted a bid of approximately Rs2.15 billion, while Lingzhi Astral quoted around Rs1.675 billion under Option-II.

Banigala plant to be prioritised

STP-III, planned near Banigala along Korang Nullah, is the plant the CDA wants to initiate on a priority basis. KAPEC-Matracon submitted the lowest bid of around Rs3.2 billion for the facility.

Under the overall plan, three STPs will be established at Lower Shahdara, Bari Imam and near Banigala to prevent contaminated wastewater from entering Rawal Dam.

In the absence of adequate sewage treatment facilities, untreated wastewater from unplanned settlements in the catchment area continues to flow through streams and nullahs into the reservoir.

The proposed treatment plants are intended to treat the wastewater before discharge and help protect the water quality of Rawal Dam.