24 April 2004	Saturday	03 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, April 23: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is setting up desalination plants at Keamari and other port areas to meet the growing requirement of potable water by visiting ships, port users and residents.

Initially the KPT will install a small plant at a cost of Rs2.5 million with a capacity of 100,000 gallon per day (gdp) at Manora. The capacity of this plant could be increased up to 500,000gdp in phases. The KPT has already issued tenders for this plant and will be completed within six months.

Presently total requirement of potable water for the port comes to around one million gallons per day but a very large quantity is met through water bowsers. Similarly, Manora requirement for potable water is presently being met through water barges which costs the KPT Rs0.50 per gallon and after the installation of this plant the cost would come down.

Official sources said that the shortage of water has become routine and sometime it is very difficult to cater to the needs of visiting ships who have to be supplied water of WHO standard.

With rapidly falling potable water sources, the KPT has embarked upon a long-term planning of setting up larger capacity desalination plants on Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

Sources said already large number of foreign companies have approached KPT and also submitted their proposals for setting up desalination plants of 3 to 10 million gallons per day in different areas of the port.

Presently the port is meeting its requirement through water bowsers but the cost has been lately rapidly increasing with the growing shortage of potable water as well as water required for service.

The Karachi Port intends to establish its own water source through desalination plants to be set up at Keamari and adjoining areas. Similarly, the cost of water supply to Manora, Bhit and Baba Island is very high.

Once a network of desalination plants is established, it is estimated that the requirement of potable water of 300,000 gdp for Manora and other islands will also be met accordingly, sources said.