Sindh govt moves to prevent shutting down of RO plants in Thar

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By: Sawan Khaskheli

The Sindh Coal Authority functionaries on Wednesday agreed to extend the contract with the Pak Oasis until March 30, to smoothly run 84 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants installed in the various areas of Thar including Asia’s biggest in Misri Shah Area of Mithi town.

The concerned functionaries in a letter requested the officials of the firm not to shut down the plants till March 30 when they would invite the tenders for the sixth time to hand over the plants in Thar.

The officials of the Pak Oasis told Pakistan Today that the concerned authorities had agreed to run the plants till the fresh tenders were invited, after their request.

Earlier, the firm had announced to shut down the plants on March 15 after the Sindh Coal Authority (SCA) failed to revise the contract, which had expired in June 2016.

Sindh Energy Secretary Agha Wasif Abbas, while talking to Pakistan Today, confirmed that the Sindh government decided to extend the contract up to March 30.

“We are working on the plans to invite tenders for the sixth time so that the plants installed in the desert can properly be maintained and provide drinking water to the people”, Wasif added. He informed that the Sindh Coal Authority, despite the lack of the interest from the companies engaged in such ventures, would not shut down the plants.

The plants would either be handed over to the same firm any other company, he concluded.