KARACHI: Work to construct the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme, commonly known as K-IV project, will start in next three to four months and likely to be completed by October 2023, said a senior member of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government on Friday.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired a meeting in Islamabad to review the progress of the mega project, which had recently been taken over by the federal government from the Sindh government.

Additional secretary-development Abdul Aziz Uqaili, project director Amir Mughal, and project consultants Dr Bashir Lakhani and senior officials attended the meeting.

“The project director briefed the minister about the revised PC-1 of the K-IV project, its components, and design details,” said a statement issued after the meeting.

Five 84-inch mild steel pipes to carry total 650 MGD

“It was informed in the meeting that Wapda has completed the revised design of 650 MGD K-IV to be executed in phases. All planning, design, and procurement activities are as per the project timeline, and the construction of this project will be completed by October 2023,” it added.

The federal minister also advised the officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply to operate pumping stations and to supply water to the proposed reservoirs.

The project director informed him that the design of the K-IV project had been developed with a modular approach in which five pumping stations with as many large mild steel pipes of 84 inches each carrying 130 MGD with a total capacity of 650 MGD had been planned to be executed.

The meeting was informed that Wapda has submitted PC-1 with a modified design of 650 MGD K-IV Project with various options for execution of the project, which can be done in phases.

Mr Umar directed the Planning Division to expedite processing of the revised PC-1 to get it approved as early as possible from Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec).

The minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of the progress and work on the development of revised planning and design of this project which is in line with the prime minister’s commitment to ensuring water availability to residents of Karachi.

Last month, Wapda chairman retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain had visited the project site.

The multibillion-rupee scheme was meant to meet the water needs of Karachiites but it remains a distant dream even after more than 10 years of its formal launch in 2011.

Multiple causes delayed its completion and increased the estimated cost to Rs150bn. The federal government had finally taken over the project from the provincial government.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021