KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday affirmed that it would mobilise all available resources to carry out urgent lining of the Kalri Baghar (KB) Feeder — the main conduit supplying water to Karachi — to protect the city’s allocated water quota.

At a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, it was decided that all necessary resources would be mobilised quickly, given the brief construction window that opens only while the Kotri Barrage remains shut for its December closure.

The chief minister said: “This is a decisive step towards sustainable water security for the city, reflecting the government’s commitment to fulfilling citizens’ needs through strategic infrastructure investments.”

According to a statement issued by the CM House, the meeting was informed that this timing was crucial because it would allow the urgent lining of the KB Feeder to be finished on schedule.

The Rs50.989 billion project, funded by federal and provincial governments, is expected to save 510 cusecs of water by preventing seepage.

Murad terms move a ‘decisive step towards sustainable water security for Karachi’; authorises release of Rs1.075bn for accrued liabilities, securing Hub Dam’s structural integrity and water supply to Karachi and Balochistan

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended among others by Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Planning and Development Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, P&D Chairman Najam Shah, LG Secretary Waseem Shamshad and Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi.

The CM noted that the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Project (K-IV) will deliver 260 mgd (million gallons per day) of potable water from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi via an advanced pressurised pipeline system. The project, under Wapda’s management since 2020, is progressing steadily.

During the briefing, the chief minister was informed that augmentation work within the city, such as pipe-laying along University Road to connect with the main K-IV line at Gulbai from the Northern Bypass, is being fast tracked.

Three proposed reservoirs — R-1, R-2, and R-3 — will be developed under the K-IV augmentation strategy to integrate new bulk water with the existing distribution network. R-1, with a 65-mgd-capacity, can immediately support central Karachi through its current system. By laying just 13 per cent of the proposed pipeline network, it will strengthen supply to Central Karachi and partially to the East and West zones, also reinforcing supply to Razi Goth and serving as an alternative augmentation to the Hub Canal as and when required.

R-2, with an augmentation capacity of 130 mgd, is designed to support large parts of North, Central, and East Karachi using 40 per cent of its network and stabilise systems like the 66-inch dia Gulshan-i-Maymar line.

R-3, with a 65-mgd-capacity, will enhance water supply in the West and Central corridors, extending up to the Hub pumping station. If the Rozi Goth-Hub corridor is disrupted, R-3 can reinforce the entire West system, ensuring continued delivery to the areas such as Surjani, Orangi, Manghopir, and their surroundings.

The pipeline completion is targeted for December 2026, with distribution enhancements expected by March 2028.

K-IV grid station

The meeting also highlighted progress on the crucial power supply components with the contracts signed for the K-IV grid station and transmission line projects. These are essential for an efficient and sustainable water pumping.

The Sindh cabinet has approved joint equity investment and plans for debt financing, demonstrating robust provincial and federal cooperation to overcome previous funding delays.

Hub Dam

To ensure critical maintenance, CM Shah authorised release of Rs1.075 billion for accrued liabilities, securing Hub Dam’s structural integrity and water supply to Karachi and Balochistan.

RBOD Drainage System

Emphasising a coordinated approach between Wapda and Sindh irrigation department, the chief minister called for swift rehabilitation of the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) drainage system, damaged during the 2022 flood, to protect the environment and prevent further disasters from toxic waste dumping.

The chief minister directed relevant departments to ensure timely financial releases and inter-agency cooperation to meet the projects’ deadlines.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2025