KARACHI, June 17: The ratio of non-revenue water (NRW) in the city’s total water supply from both the Indus River and Hub Dam sources has jumped to 45 per cent, thus leaving only 351 million gallons of water per day (mgd) for a population of 16 million people.
And if 40 per cent of the 351mgd of water is being used for non-domestic purposes, the water meant for domestic use comes to just 211mgd.
This and some other startling disclosures have been made in a report prepared by a study team of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). The Jica team’s study is aimed at formulating a master plan for the development of water and sewerage systems in Karachi up to the year 2025, which is to be incorporated in the much-awaited overall master plan of the city.
The modus operandi applied by the Jica study team for calculating the overall water losses is that it had added 35 per cent technical water losses (unaccounted for water such as physical losses, meter inaccuracy and unauthorised consumption) in the transmission and distribution systems from the filtration plants to consumers to 10 per cent non-technical losses (unbilled authorised consumption) in the system. Thus, the NRW has been assumed to be 45 per cent, the study states.
Elaborating further, the report said that having a total bulk water supply capacity of 720mgd (645mgd from the Indus River and 75mgd from the Hub Dam), the ratio of the city’s non-revenue water has reached an alarming stage of 45 per cent and thus indicates that the current water supply for both domestic and non-domestic purposes has declined to just 351mgd.
Cautioning that Karachi will continuously be subjected to severe water constraints over many years to come owing to its exploding population and the limited availability of water resources, the study points out that the city is located in an arid region where the annual precipitation is less than 200mm.
“There are no prospective surface or underground water sources within the city or in its surrounding areas that can be developed on a large scale to meet the enormous water demand of the mega city,” the study says, adding that “Karachi seems to be the only city in the world which lies in (an arid zone) with a large population of 16 million people.”
Divulging the details, the report said: “At present, Karachi has a total bulk water supply from the Indus River and the Hub Dam. These water sources are located about 150 and 40 kilometres away from the central part of the city, respectively. The water is conveyed through the bulk water supply system comprising open canals, conduits, bulk pumping stations, rising mains and water purification plants.
“In the Indus River system, approximately 33mgd of raw water is being (subtracted) from the KG Canal before the Gujjo Headworks (to) supply the Pakistan Steel Mills, Port Qasim Authority, etc. This reduces the total bulk water supply capacity to the city to 687mgd. Assuming that water loss in the bulk water supply system (including evaporation and losses at water purification plants) is 10 per cent, the water that can be made available for the city is estimated to be 625mgd.”
However, the volume of water actually supplied to the city at present is less than 625mgd. It is estimated to be 540mgd. Assuming that leakage in the distribution system is 35pc (NRW at 45 pc), this volume further decreases to 351mgd (540 x 0.65). Further, if 40 per cent of this volume is used for non-domestic purposes, water meant for domestic use is 211mgd (351 x 0.60).
Dividing this volume by 13.61 million, which was equivalent to 90 per cent of the city’s total population in 2005 (15.12 million people) estimated by the Karachi Strategic Master Plan (KSMP), the domestic per capita consumption rate in 2005 has been estimated at 15.50 gallons (70.4 litres) per day.
The study further states that at present, no accurate assessment of leakages in the distribution network is possible and if the actual leakage is higher than 35 per cent, then the per capita consumption rate could be lower than estimated.
Quoting the city government’s KSMP in which the city’s population is projected to increase by more than twofold to 32 million in 2025, the study says that the anticipated increase in the capacity of water sources during the same period, which was only 1,200 cusecs (645mgd), was smaller than the existing capacity of 720mgd.
Keeping in view this simple mathematics, the Jica study apprehends that the city will continue to remain under severe water constraints over many years to come.
KARACHI, June 17: The ratio of non-revenue water (NRW) in the city’s total water supply from both the Indus River and Hub Dam sources has jumped to 45 per cent, thus leaving only 351 million gallons of water per day (mgd) for a population of 16 million people.
