Wapda terms availability of funds vital for timely completion of K-IV

LAHORE: Wapda Chairman Engr Lt-Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani visited the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV Project) to review progress.

The project envisages to provide 650 million gallon per day (MGD) water to Karachi from the Keenjhar Lake. The project will be completed in two phases. At present, Wapda is constructing Phase-I, which is scheduled for completion in October 2024. Phase-I of the K-IV project will supply 260 MGD to Karachi.

The PC-I cost of the project is Rs 126 billion, expenditure till date is Rs.40 billion and accumulative progress of 40% has been achieved. General Manager (Projects) South, Chief Engineer/Project Director K-IV and representatives of the Consultants and the contractors were also present during the visit.

The chairman visited several sites of the project and witnessed construction work. The project team briefed the chairman about the progress achieved so far. he was briefed that construction activities continued on all eight sites of the project.

The sites include intake structure, pumping stations, water conveyance system consisting of pressurized pipes, reservoirs and filtration plants, project offices, colony and the approach road.

The status relating to the provision of the funds through Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) was reviewed in detail during the briefing. Besides, issues of augmentation of the water distribution system to be done by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and the power component to be arranged by the Sindh government, also came under discussion.

K-IV is a project of immense importance for Karachi. The Wapda is striving hard to complete the project in accordance with the schedule.

The chairman maintained that scheduled completion of the project is, however, linked with the timely provision of funds. He said that arrangements for the power component and augmentation of the water distribution system as per the plan were also equally important, so that the people of Karachi could benefit from the project.

He directed the project management to keep a close liaison with all stakeholders for completion of the project as early as possible.