KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that water and sewerage projects in progress in the city were given top priority so that they could be completed in the public interest.
The chief minister was presiding over a meeting to review on-going water supply and public transport projects in the city attended by Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman and other officials.
CM Sindh said that the water demand of Karachi based on 54 gallon per capita per day (GPCD) comes to 918 MGD, and there is a huge shortfall to meet the requirement.
Managing Director Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) Khalid Shaikh told the chief minister that due to minimal rains at Hub source water supply has reduced from 100 MGD to 12 MGD to the city.
He said that gross supply of water to Karachi is 493 MGD and losses incurred during transmission have been estimated at 148 MGD, therefore net supply stands at 345 leaving a shortfall of 573 MGD against the demand of 918 MGD.
The meeting was told that SITE demands 80 MGD against which they are being supplied six MGD, FB Area industrial area demands 20 MGD and receive three MGD, Landhi-Korangi demand 50 MGD and receive 15 MGD, Super Highway SITE demands 50 MGD and get just one MGD.
Therefore, the water demand of industrial areas is 200 MGD and receive 25 MGD leaving a shortfall of 175 MGD.
CM Sindh said that he was equally focusing on the issues of domestic water supply and industrial requirement. He said the provincial government has decided to install a desalination plant, and that water-starved areas of the city were being provided free of cost tankers.
The chief minister directed the MD water board to complete four important on-going water supply projects. This includes 60 MGD recycling, 260 MGD K-IV, 65 MGD Bulk Schemes and 100 MGD pump house schemes.
The MD water board said that the projects would be completed within two years by December 2020 and the 100 MGD pump house scheme worth Rs1.43 million would become operational by March 2019.
The chief minister said the S-III project includes rehabilitation of existing Treatment Plant I and III of 100 MGD and 180 MGD respectively, and construction of new treatment plant, STP-IV of 180 MGD at Korangi and 100 MGD at KPT STP-V.
These projects would have the facility to treat 608 MGD. The MD water board told the chief minister that the cost of S-III was Rs36.12 billion while only a quarter of the work has been completed.
Chairman P&D Mr Waseem told the chief minister that combined effluent treatment plants was a Rs11.8 billion projects in which provincial government would bear 67 percent cost while the federal government would provide the remaining.
It would clean 94 MGD of industrial sewerage in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. The meeting was told that project was being designed by the consultant.
