KARACHI – Sindh Planning and Development (P&D) Department Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Ishaque Lashari said on Wednesday that the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme – K-IV project – would be implemented in three phases. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB)’s K-IV project aims at bringing additional 650 million gallons per day (MGD) or 1,200 cusecs of water to the city from Indus River. According to details, the project’s phase-I with the capacity for drawing 130 MGD would be completed from 2011 to 2015; the phase-2 having the capacity of 260 MGD from 2016 to 2020; while the K-IV phase-3 with the capacity bringing an additional 260 MGD will be completed in the time period from 2020 to 2025.
“The major issue in the implementation of the K-IV project is the increase of Karachi’s existing water quota from 1,200 cusecs to 2,400 cusecs from the Indus source. The matter was taken up by the Irrigation and Power Department with the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) but refusing to enhance the quota for Sindh, the IRSA asked the department to provide the additional 1,200 cusecs to Karachi from the water share of the Sindh province,” said Lashari in a statement, adding that the decision for provision of additional 1,200 cusecs from the Indus source is required for the implementation of the project.
The P&D additional chief secretary further said that the scheme for K-IV Project Phase-I costing Rs 20.803 billion has been prepared by the KWSB. The PC-I funding has been proposed to be provided by the federal government and has to be ascertained before initiating the process of approval and implementation, he added.
