KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday announced its plan to partially operationalise a facility to treat 30 to 35 million gallons of sewage per day before it was discharged into the sea.

Chairing a meeting to review progress of the sewerage projects, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah approved Rs5 billion for the secondary treatment of wastewater at the Treatment Plant I (TP-I) and set an interim target of 30-35 MGD treatment by June 30, aiming for full operational capacity by Dec 31.

The TP-I at Haroonabad is part of the Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan, known as the S-III project, which also includes the rehabilitation of TP-II at Mehmoodabad and TP-III at Mauripur and the construction of a new facility, TP-IV, at Korangi.

The chief minister emphasised that Karachi would see significant improvement this year, saying that the TP-IV project was a revolutionary step for the city’s water management.

According to a statement issued by the CM House, the TP-IV will treat 180 MGD of sewage, aiming to improve marine life and curb pollution in the city’s coastal waters.

The plant will process water from the Malir River basin and will include a 22-kilometre interceptor for sewage collection.

The TP-IV, being executed under a public-private partnership model, involves a government-to-government (G2G) memorandum of understanding between the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and EnerTech Holding Company of Kuwait. Financial support includes $100 million from the World Bank and $50 million from the Asian Development Bank as viability gap funding, along with $80 million from the provincial government for capital expenditure.

According to the statement, the chief minister directed Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who heads the KWSC Board and Planning and Development Department, to ensure immediate coordination for the timely execution of the project.

CM Shah also directed the deputy commissioner concerned to promptly complete the survey and demarcation of 140 acres available for the construction of the treatment plant.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2026