The fault in their plans: K-IV likely to make a creeping start

10 years after the initial proposal, KWSB officials unclear about where the project will get its power supply

KARACHI:

Karachi has run dry. The only hope, it seems, is the much-awaited K-IV project.

Over the past 10 years, much has been spoken about the scheme that is promised to bridge the gap between the city's water demand and supply. It has been a major feature of every political campaign and has even found substantial mention in the budget books over the last few years.

So what, one might wonder, is stopping the project from realisation. Sheer incompetence? The project, which should have been finished years ago, is still in its planning phase. Even the land required for the scheme has still not been acquired.

Read: KWSB to submit report on efficiency of K-IV plant

At a presentation organised by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to discuss the project's Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, the many shortcomings in the planning of the project came to the fore. KWSB officials rattled on with the rhetoric of the salient features of the project but they were quite clueless when it came to the more important details.

An eerie silence gripped the hall on the fifth floor of the Institute of Engineers Pakistan building, when the issue of power supply for the project was raised on Tuesday. They had been caught off-guard, it seemed.

Read: Stricter rules: Governor issues KWSB amendment ordinance

Project director Saleem Siddiqui responded that the question was very valid. According to him, the KWSB had several options — they could install their own power plants or take the services of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), whose grid station was close to Keenjhar Lake, if the K-Electric failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

A grand scheme on paper

Siddiqui explained that the project would supply 650MGD of water to the city and was proposed to be built in three phases. The first phase, which will take at least three years to complete, will supply 260MGD. "Each of the next two phases will supply an equal quantity of water to the city," he said.

According to Environmental Protection Agency director Waqar Hussain, the canal section for the project comprised 97km for the supply of 260MGD, whereas the conduit section was 24km for the supply of 130MGD.

Regarding the route alignment, he said that the project will start at Keenjhar Lake, pass through Thatta, and end in North Karachi. "The total area for this project is 5,067acres in district Thatta and 8,165 acres in district Malir," he said, adding that the  concessional agreement for the lands have been done, but it has yet to be handed over.

Impact on environment

Jamil H Kazmi, the service engineer of Osmania and Company (Pvt) Ltd, which conducted the EIA with the help of the Karachi University, said that the proposed route of K-IV project was mostly gravity-based and required the least pumping. According to him, there are minimal human settlements with the least concentration of heritage and archaeological sites and few agricultural areas.

Local professions of the area include cattle grazing, agriculture, bricklaying and fish farming.

There are pakka settlements, semi-pakka settlements, huts and juggis. "Tree cover in the project area is highly sporadic and low," he said, adding that the trees must not be removed unnecessarily to construct canals.

Will K-IV water be supplied to new townships such as DHA City, Bahria Town, Gadap Town and Education City, Siddiqui responded that it will take another 30 years to fulfill the demand of these areas. "Once the demand of Karachi is fulfilled, we will think about giving water to other towns located far from Karachi."

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2015.