KARACHI, Dec 6: Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that 100 MGD K-III project will be completed in March 2006 – three months ahead of its scheduled date of completion.

He said with the completion of the project city’s 95 per cent water requirements would be met while consultants have been appointed for 100 MGD K-IV project on which work would commence in 2007.

He was talking to newsmen after an eight-hour-long visit to various sections of K-III project in Karachi and outside Karachi to Gharo and Dhabeji on Tuesday.

The nazim evinced keen interest in the under-completion section of K-III from Gujjo Canal to North-East Karachi while Brig Iftekhar, Mashkoorul Hasan and Misbahuddin Fareed briefed him about the project.

Mustafa Kamal made searching queries to contractors and site engineers and later talking to media said the project would be completed ahead of schedule.

The KWSB managing director assured the city nazim of completing the project within the stipulated period.

The city nazim said that the City Government had also provided Rs 50 million to each town for strengthening of water distribution system and by the time, the K-III project will be in operation, the system’s internal network would have been strengthened.

He pointed out that the federal government would provide Rs 2.70 billion for system strengthening. However, the City Government could not wait for the release of funds by the federal government.

He said that consultants would be appointed for execution of schemes for which each town had been provided Rs 50 million. He said with the strengthening of the system, water losses would be reduced by 33 per cent.

Mustafa Kamal said that an American company, Engineering Solution, is setting up a 35-megawatt plant for ensuring uninterrupted operation of water pumps where after KWSB’s dependence on KESC would end.

He informed that M/s Usmani and Company had been appointed consultants for K-IV project. They would complete the project study within one year and work would start in the year 2007.

DCO Karachi Fazlur Rehman, MD Water Board Brig Iftekhar Hyder, Project Chief Engineer Mashkoorul Hasan and Project Manager Misbahuddin Farid were also present.

To a question about restructuring of the KWSB, Mustafa Kamal said no restructuring was being done at present. He said only Superintending and sub-engineers have been appointed at the level of towns to facilitate the town nazims.

However, he pointed out, KWSB’s restructuring plan would be implemented gradually.

Earlier, the KWSB MD said that water to be supplied through K-III could also be provided to areas linked with the Hub system while 5 MGD water would also be supplied to Balochistan.

Brig Iftekhar said that in order to check the project’s electrical/mechanical work, experts would come from Germany and China in January 2006.

To a question, he informed that PC-I cost of the project was Rs 6.10 billion which rose to Rs 6.50 billion due to increase in prices of diesel and steel.

He said that with the completion of the K-III project, the 1200 cusecs of water quota for Karachi from river Indus would exhaust while talks are in progress between Sindh, Centre and IRSA for grant of additional 1200 cusecs quota from River Indus.—APP