KARACHI, Oct 9: Having a shortfall of 250 and 300 million gallons of water daily, the city will not be able to draw more water from the Indus source unless a fresh quota is allocated by the federal government.

“Karachi was allocated 1,200 cusecs of water from Indus basin by federal government during General Zia’s tenure and the entire quota of 1,200 cusecs will be consumed by June 2006 with the commissioning of 100mgd K-III water scheme,” well-placed sources told Dawn.

Asked what would be the fate of proposed K-IV water scheme whereby the city might get an additional 100mgd water, the sources admitted that the inordinate delay on the part of federal government in allocating a fresh quota of water to the city from the Indus source might put the KWSB’s proposed K-IV water project in doldrums.

Though the gap between demand and supply of water will be bridged to some extent following commissioning of 100mgd K-III project in mid-2006, still there will be a shortfall of 150mgd as the city’s population was increasing at five per cent (2.5 per cent owing to local growth and 2.5pc because of influx from other areas), the sources said.

They deplored that gap between the city’s demand and supply of water was increasing with each passing day owing to double growth rate of its population.

Besides, they added, around 160mgd water (35 per cent of the city’s total supply) was being wasted daily because of leaking pipelines, water thefts as well as transmission and distribution losses.

The sources said that the city was getting 542mgd water (450mgd from Indus source, 90mgd from Hub dam source and 2mgd from Dumlottee wells), but the actual quantity of water available with the KWSB for meeting the needs of the city’s huge population of 14 million ranges between 350mgd and 400mgd as about 160mgd water is wasted every day owing to faulty water distribution system and transmission lines.

Emphasizing the need for expediting the process of allocating another 1,200 cusecs water from Indus source under federal quota, the sources said that the provincial government should immediately take up the matter with the federal government so that feasibility study of the proposed K-IV is materialized as soon as the K-III project is accomplished.