KARACHI: The World Bank has offered $400 million assistance to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for improving water and sewerage services in Karachi. The Sindh government has agreed in principle and decided to go ahead with the plan.

This emerged from a meeting on Thursday when a World Bank team led by senior water resources management specialist Andreas Rohde called on Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani in his office here.

The other members of the team were senior water and sanitation specialist Farhanullah Sami, associate investment officer Sarah Afridi and water resources specialist Basharat Saeed.

Minister Ghani was assisted by local government secretary Khalid Haider, managing director of water board Khalid Shaikh, DMD planning of water board Ayub Shaikh and others.

Suggests reforms in working of KWSB

The World Bank delegation briefed the minister about projects for remodelling on modern lines the water and sewerage system in Karachi and assured its financing by the Bank.

The minister inquired about details of the projects from the water board managing director and other officers concerned and directed them to prepare and finalise all details for early execution of the plan.

Replying to a question, the minister told Dawn that the World Bank delegation also suggested reforms to improve the working of the water board and sewerage system which included water and sewer lines’ condition, survey and rehabilitation, improving water supply in low-income communities and monitoring of industrial discharge into the sewerage and storm-water system.

Agreeing to the proposed reforms, he told the Bank delegation that the Sindh government had taken initiative in this regard and with assistance and coordination, the project would certainly be implemented on a fast-track basis.

In reply to a question, MD water board Khalid Shaikh said that projects would be implemented in phases and first phase would be completed in three years.

He said $400m financing was part of $16 billion package offered by the World Bank, which would be implemented in three phases spreading over a 10-year period.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2018