KARACHI, April 30: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has directed officials to devise a comprehensive strategy to provide water to all cities of the province including Karachi.

He issued these directives while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor's House here on Monday. The meeting was also attended by Sindh Minister for Irrigation Nadir Leghari, Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani, secretary irrigation, city nazim and others.

He said that water supply and filtration arrangements should also be ensured in these areas keeping in view the present and future needs.

The governor directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to immediately devise a master plan for water supply keeping in view the future needs of the city.

Dr Ibad also stressed the need to construct small dams for storage of water and directed the officials concerned to conduct a survey to store water in Khirthar Hill, as a water reservoir bigger than Hub Dam could be developed there to cater future needs.

The governor said that after the completion of K-III project, the city was getting 640 million gallons of water daily but this quantity was not enough to cater the present needs of the city.

Dr Ibad said that K-III project was made on population basis but the actual population was more than what was estimated. He said that a new planning should be made keeping in view the actual population.

The governor said that Karachi was expanding rapidly due to migration of people here from different parts of country. Industrial activities were doubled during the last five years and many new housing schemes in the shape of Hawkesbay, MDA and Taiser Town, etc, had also started, he added.

The meeting was told that K-IV water project would cost Rs15 billion and it would work on gravitational force and need only two pumping stations. The governor also directed officials to take steps to avoid misuse of water and recycle it for non-drinking purposes.—PPI