No flaw in Cogen’s design, to become functional by end of 2012


DHA Executive Board informed Creek City Medical Complex being set up in Phase-VIII
Board approves regulations for DHA Business Zone, also being developed in Phase-VIII

KARACHI - Siemens and Ficthner of Germany have successfully completed the root-cause analysis and third party evaluation of the Cogen plant and the technical reports have not indicated any structural fault in the plant’s design.
It was informed during a meeting of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Executive Board that a leading international energy sector firm is in the process of acquiring the management control of Cogen plant from the present owner AEI; the firm would arrange necessary funds required for the rehabilitation of the plant.
Under the new arrangement, the DHA would actively monitor the functioning of the Cogen plant to ensure its uninterrupted operation in the future. The plant is likely to become functional by the end of 2012.
The meeting was chaired by the board’s president Corps Commander Lt Gen Muhammad Zahirul Islam. It was held at the Headquarters 5 Corps to review various policy and functional matters of DHA.
DHA Administrator Brig Aamer Raza Qureshi informed the board about the progress made on DHA’s ongoing mega projects.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the Executive Board was informed that the DHA has been making proactive and concerted efforts for the last one year to make the stalled Cogen plant operational and that in this regard a significant breakthrough had been made.
The board was also informed that the DHA is setting up the Creek City Medical Complex (CCMC) in DHA Phase-VIII for the provision of high quality medical and healthcare facilities to the residents of the DHA. Ten specialised hospitals/healthcare units are planned to be set up in the medical complex by different hospitals/medical groups.
Work on the establishment of three specialised medical units would start soon.
The president of the board directed the DHA to observe the present financial year as the “Year of DHA City” in which fast-track development of the project as per the features of the master plan and development strategy should be started.
The board was also informed that the groundbreaking ceremony of the DHA City Karachi (DCK) project would be held towards the end February 2012 and that mobilisation of contractors to the project site has already started.
The board was informed that under the DCK Immediate Action Plan (2011-2012), the contract for the construction of a boundary wall and a track has already been awarded while the financial/technical bids for construction of watch tower, main entrance gate, central facility building and staff accommodation are being finalised.
The board was informed that speedy and fast track infrastructure development of DHA Phase-VIII is being executed under a versatile and dynamic strategy which envisaged simultaneous development of three sectors of the phase at a time.
The infrastructure development of Phase-VIII, which constitutes 45 percent area of the entire DHA, is targeted to be completed by 2015.
A special zone for business and commercial activities by the name of DHA Business Zone (DHABZ) is being developed in DHA Phase-VIII. The board approved the regulations for the DHABZ, formulated to create a coherent and properly planned business zone as per a master plan and image concept.
The board also directed the DHA not to allow wall chalking and hoisting of political and other flags at public places/roads in the residential enterprise.