KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has decided to construct a separate canal from Gujjo to Pipri to provide 200 MGD additional water to Karachi and also directed the water board to reduce its 30 percent line losses so that 58 MGD water could also be saved for the city.
He took this decision on Wednesday while presiding over a meeting of Karachi water board to explore ways and means to improve the capacity of the existing system of K-I, II and III under which the city received water. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Shah, Chairperson P&D Nahid Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, MD water Board Asadullah Khan and Chief Engineer
Briefing the chief Minister MD water Board and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah said that the current water demand of the city was 1200 MGD against which total water supply was around 406 MGD. At this the chief minister said that the situation necessitated to plan, design and implement the water supply projects on war footings.
MD Water board Asadullah said that different systems of bulk water supply provide 406 MGD to the city. They include K-I, 280 MGD, K-II, 100 MGD, K-III 100 MGD, Hub source 100 MGD. This comes 580 MGD against which total losses have been calculated at 30 percent, means 174 MGD.
To a question, the MD said that water allocation for Karachi was 650 MGD. Then the chief minister asked him about the designed capacity of Kinjhar-Gujjo (KG) Canal, the said it was 650. At this chief minister said that when the system has allocation and capacity of 650 MGD why the water board was not improving its system.
He said that if the system was improved the water board would be able to bring 200 MGD in the system and if the losses of 174 MD were reduced by 10 percent it would further save 58 MGD. The chief minister directed water board to construct a canal from Gujjo to Pipri with a capacity of 250 MGD water from where it would be pumped in the system already functional city.
Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Shah said that the project would cost around Rs11 billion. Contracts for some of its portion were given for construction 135 MGD capacity canal. The chief minister said it would be of 250 MGD canal. “I would arrange fund but this city needs water and other projects are getting late,” he said.
Local Government Minister told the meeting that Pakistan Steel Mill was withdrawing 28 MGD, Port Qasim 7 MGD. At this the chief minister said that Pakistan Steel Mills was not functioning, therefore their requirement must be reassessed. “We are giving four MGD to DHA which is much bigger than the area of Steel Town/ Gulshan-e-Hadeed population, therefore steel mill requirement must be assessed once again,” he said.
To another question, the MD water board told the chief minister that 50 percent losses have been recorded from 100 MGD supply from Hub. The chief minister said that these losses must be reduced to five to eight percent. He said he would talk to Wapda authorities for improvement of water conveyance system of their first 16 kilometers and then directed water board to improve its canal to control water losses.
The chief minister directed Chairperson P&D Nahid Shah to prepare a scheme for canal construction from Kinjhar to Gujjo and improvement of the existing conveyance system of water board from Thatta to Dhabeji and from Hub to Karachi.
“The water board has to make itself a self-sustained organization,” he said and added “we would be supporting water board but water board will have to improve yourself,” he concluded.
