KARACHI – The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) is about to start work on K-IV Water Supply Project with an estimated cost of Rs 20 billion to meet the increasing demand of water, KWSB Managing Director (MD) Misbahuddin Farid said in a meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting was also attended by Karachi District Coordination Officer (DCO) Muhammad Hussain Syed, Municipal Services Department Executive District Officer Masood Alam, officials of the City District Government Karachi and KWSB, and representatives of consultant firms.
The MD said that PC-I of the K-IV Water Supply Project for Karachi has already been prepared, and work on this important project would begin soon. He said that the city is facing water shortage of 100MGD, which would keep increasing with rising population, and the difference in supply and demand could transform into a major water crisis.
In consideration of this risk, a study was conducted for the K-IV Water Supply Project on the order of former city nazim Mustafa Kamal to deal with the water requirements for the next 50 years, he added. He also said that had the project started in 2007, it would have been completed by now. He informed the participants of the meeting that the PC-I of the project had already been forwarded to the authorities concerned.
The study of this project was conducted for ensuring water supply to Malir Development Authority, Lyari Development Authority, all goths and housing schemes, the Education City and Nooriabad Industrial Zone for the next 50 years, he added. The MD said that under the project, the main supply line would be kept away from the coastal areas so that it could be protected from possible calamities like tsunami.
He said that according to the study, this project needs 10,140 acres of land, of which 80 percent belongs to the government.
In the 124km long supply line, only 2.5km water would be supplied through pumping, whereas 70 percent of the supply would be carried out through canals, he added.
He also said that in the initial phase, 130MGD water supply could be made possible, taking care of citizens’ needs for the next five years.
The DCO said that the land allocated for this purpose should be secured on preferential basis before launching the project so that it could be saved from encroachment, and coordination with the Board of Revenue is required for this purpose. He directed constructing a road on both sides of the supply line to allow room for extending the project in the future.
Appreciating the study on the project, he said that the government would make the final decision after reviewing the PC-I for the project. He also directed the KWSB to make plans for stopping water leakage from pipelines.
