KARACHI, June 2: Apprehending a serious water crisis in the city in the near future, the Sindh planning and development department has sought the help of the Sindh governor and the chief minister to avert the crisis.

In a letter sent to governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and chief minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Khan Mehar, the provincial minister for planning and development, Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari, has inter alia stated:”May God bless you with the spirit to take all necessary steps to save this cosmopolitan city from water crisis which, God forbid, I apprehend in the near future.”

Referring to reports about the five aqueducts of the 5.2-mile-long main Hub canal having developed cracks and might collapse if more than 20 million gallons of water is released in the canal, the minister also requested both the governor and chief minister to take up the issue with the governor and the chief minister of Balochistan.

It was also highlighted in the report that on the one hand, all the aqueducts of the main Hub canal have developed cracks and, on the other, the canal’s desilting and lining works are also to be undertaken on priority so that the Wapda officials might not face any difficulty in providing water to the city and Lasbella through the canal once the Hub dam’s reservoir is replenished with rainwater in the ensuing monsoon the prospects of which are quite bright in the light of a forecast by the meteorological department.

However, in order to get the canal’s aqueducts repaired and accomplish the canal’s desilting and lining works, the Wapda is seeking between Rs 7 and 8 million from both the Sindh and Balochistan on the plea that both the governments owe Rs 1.3 billion to the Wapda under the head of the dam’s capital cost as well as operational and maintenance cost.

In addition, malfunctioning of the dam’s head regulator and sluice gates is also required to be rectified to improve their operation.