KARACHI: 100mgd more water for city from 31st: Ibad: K-III undergoes test run
KARACHI, March 25: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that the people of Karachi will start receiving 100-mgd additional water from K-III project from March 31. “The government is working on a planning for meeting the city’s water requirement for the next 50 years and the city government has started a study in this regard. The study will be completed by the end of this year. After the process, the work on K-IV and other projects will be started.”
The governor was speaking after pushing a button to activate the K-III project machinery at Dhabeji Pumping Station for a trial run on Saturday.
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, DCO Fazlur Rehman, KWSB Managing Director Brig Iftikhar Haider, Project Manager Misbahuddin Farid and other officials were present on the occasion.
The governor announced that in the distribution of the additional water, preference would be given to Lyari, Orangi, Baldia, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and the areas which were without water till date. For the first time, 22mgd water would be allocated for industrial areas.
He pointed out that the Rs6 billion project had been scheduled to be completed in July this year, but after taking over as city nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal paid special attention and got it completed three months ahead of the schedule.
Karachi receives 540mgd water against its requirement of 650mgd. The K-III project would meet much of its remaining requirement. However, he regretted, 30 per cent of the available water was going waste because of line leakages. He said that the city government had already taken steps to check this waste.
The provincial government, he pointed out, was paying special attention to development and encouraging industries. In this context, he said that with the launching of the K-III project, industries would get double the quantity of water being supplied to this sector at present.
He said that industries could progress when facilities were provided to them and their progress would bring about economic improvement and create jobs for jobless.
The governor said: “President Pervez Musharraf has been requested to formally inaugurate the project.”
The special feature of this project is that it has been linked with the Hub water supply system. In the event of water shortage at the Hub source, the deficit areas would easily be supplied water through the K-III.
In reply to a question, Dr Ibad said that the provincial government had closed down a number of illegal hydrants. The Rangers had voluntarily withdrawn from the tanker service but agreed to retain the same at the government’s request, made amid apprehension of mismanagement in water distribution, he added.
He said that the tanker service could not be done away with immediately because there were certain areas which were not receiving the tap water.
Speaking on the occasion, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said that new lines were being laid in the areas which were not being supplied tap water. As soon as the network is completed, the tanker service would come to an end automatically.
The nazim said: “We thank Allah and felicitate people on completion of the K-III project ahead of schedule. With the commissioning of this project, the city’s 98 per cent area will start receiving water, especially Gulistan-i-Jauhar which is not receiving water despite the existence of lines in five out of its 13 blocks.”
He said that planning was being done viz-a-viz the use of computer in valve operation to check irregularities in water distribution. All valves will be operated through computers from one room only after two years, according to him.
Regarding the prevailing water shortage, he said that the situation was result of a decline of 45mgd at Hub dam.
Replying to a question, he said that the water board land had been handed over to a private party under a court order. “However, the city government has completed arrangements for filing an appeal in the Supreme Court.”— APP
