‘Emergency action being taken to overcome water scarcity in city’

The Sindh government has decided to use various sources of water, including the installation of desalination plants, to meet the persisting shortage of water in Karachi.

"There is a water shortage in the city. Work will be done on an emergency basis to address the problem of water scarcity in the city. Efforts are being made to ensure that the citizens of Karachi do not complain of water scarcity,” said Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Friday.

He, along with provincial minister for local government Nasir Hussain Shah, was presiding over a meeting on water scarcity in different parts of the city. Defense Housing Authority (DHA) administrator Brigadier Rai Asim Mustafa, PCI Brigadier Yasir Elahi and others were also present on the occasion.

Wahab, who also acts as a spokesman of the Sindh government, said the government was trying to make the process of water distribution in Karachi fair. He said that the Sindh government believed in resolving public issues on a priority basis.

"Various projects for the water supply were completed in the past at a great cost. Karachi's water needs have increased over time and the problem of scarcity has increased," he added. The KMC administrator said the government and the city administration wanted to solve this problem on a permanent basis. "Desalination plants are being considered instead of the traditional method. Other innovative methods are also being used.”

He said usable water had been obtained through desalination plants in different cities of the world. Barrister Wahab said that these experiments had proved successful, especially in the coastal areas. "In view of the growing population of Karachi, it is time to make a comprehensive plan to ensure equitable distribution of water in the city.”