World Bank proposed $400Mn aid to develop water board

KARACHI: The World Bank has proposed $400 million aid to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for developing water and sewerage services in Karachi. However, the Sindh government has approved in standard and determined to go move forward with the arrangement.

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

The meeting includes other members of the team such as Farhanullah Sami, senior water and sanitation specialist, associate investment officer Sarah Afridi and Basharat Saeed, water resources specialist. Minister Saeed Ghani was assisted by local government secretary Khalid Haider, managing director of water board Khalid Shaikh, & Ayub Shaikh DMD planning of water board along with other officials.

According to the sources, the World Bank delegation provided detailed information to the minister about projects for revamping recent lines that are in use by the water and sewerage system of Karachi, also he guaranteed its funding by the Bank. Also, a detailed sketch is provided for improvisation of water and sewerage lines, survey and rehabilitation, recovering water supply in low-income communities and supervising of industrial expulsion into the sewerage.

Furthermore, the minister also inquired about particulars of the projects from the water board managing director & other officials related to the project and directed them to organize and conclude all details in order to implement the plan as soon as possible.

Since the proposed reforms are settled, the it is declared to the Bank delegation that the Sindh government had taken a stand in this matter and with support and synchronization, this project will be started immediately.

The MD water board Khalid Sheikh stated that this project will be executed in phases and first phase will take almost three years for completion.

He also stated that $400 million financing was part of $16 billion package offered by the World Bank, which will be realized in three phases within a period of 10 years.