Al-Mawlawi (right) and representative of a company at the signing ceremony as other officials look on. PICTURE: Jayaram

 

By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) awarded 12 contracts amounting to approximately QR5.53bn for executing some of the major infrastructural development works across the country.

"These projects would be completed much before Qatar hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup," Ashghal president and senior engineer Nasser bin Ali al-Mawlawi announced at the ceremony.

With the signing of the latest contracts, the total value of the contracts awarded this year now exceeds QR26bn and works worth QR13bn are in various stages of execution.

The awarded contracts, it is understood, include infrastructure works of QR22.6bn, building projects of QR 2.54bn and operation and maintenance of roads and sewerage networks amounting to QR762mn.

While seven contracts awarded fell under the local roads and drainage programme, one was under the Expressway programme and other four were sewerage related.

Among the major works awarded on Wednesday were the QR1.51bn design, build, operation and maintenance contract of a sewage treatment facility (STF), capable of handling 56,200 cu m of effluents per day, at Al Dhakira area, near Al Khor.

The STF's work is expected to start early next month and it will be completed and commissioned in the third quarter of 2018. The plant will take care of the requirements of Al Khor and Al Dhakira areas.

The hi-tech facility would consist of advanced electrical and mechanical equipment that would help improve the quality of treated effluent. The resultant treated sewage effluent would be used for irrigation and landscaping.

The sewage sludge from the STF will be processed and used as filling material and compost, it is understood.

Speaking to journalists, Ashghal officials said the project also includes the modification of the existing pumping station at Al Khor for handling the sewage generated from residential and service projects in the area.

Another feature of the massive project is a station to pump sewage from the existing treating facility at Al Dhakira and Al Khor to the new facility.

The operation and maintenance of the entire plant for 10 years from the date of its commissioning is also covered in the project.