‘Project under way to ensure additional 100 MGD water to city’

A plan is under way to make an additional 100 million gallons per day (MGD) water available to Karachi before the start of the next summer season so that residents do not face a water shortage during the harsh weather.

This was stated by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani on Tuesday during a visit to different canals and water supply installations of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, including the sites of the under-construction K-IV Greater Bulk Water Supply Scheme.

Ghani said new pumps were being installed at Dhabeji pumping station to bring additional 100 MGD to the city. The new development schemes of KWSB were being constructed in a manner that Karachi could fully avail the approved quota of 650 MGD water from the main source of Indus River, he said.

According to the local government minister, the Sindh government had the utmost resolve to complete the K-IV project if, in case, the federal government does not provide any more additional support.

He said there were different reasons behind the delay in the completion of K-IV project and one among them was the delay in provision of additional funds by the federal government to meet the increasing cost of the project.

Hassan Ejaz Kazmi, the project director of the additional 100 MGD water supply scheme, informed the provincial minister that all the required machinery and equipment had been imported to Karachi from different countries.

He said that the installation of this machinery and equipment would expeditiously begin with the completion of the building of the project of 100 MGD additional water supply. Minister Ghani directed him to make all efforts to ensure the project is completed before next summer.

KWSB Managing Director Asadullah Khan said that the city’s water utility had been utilising all its resources to overcome the situation of water shortage in Karachi that became aggravated as the Hub Dam had gone dry.