Karachi — a thirsty city

As the gap between supply & demand increases by the day,a new project designed to sate a thirsty city is coming online

Cities the world over consume a lot of water, some of them more efficiently than others. Water infrastructure is an essential part of the growth and development of cities everywhere. Karachi has had a water crisis for as long as most people can remember. It is a city where growth is largely unplanned, and according to the chief engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewage Board, the current supply of water to the city stands at just over 550MGD whereas the actual demand is in excess of 1,100MGD — Karachi is getting approximately half of the water it needs to sustain itself daily. ‘Water mafias’ thrive, preying on those who buy their water daily. As the gap between supply and demand increases by the day, a new project designed to sate a thirsty city is coming online.

Prosaically titled K-IV, it is aimed at meeting the increasing demand; and the design of the first phase of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply scheme that had its design initiated in February 2015 and which was completed three months ahead of schedule has now moved to initiation. This will provide 260MGD of water at a cost of Rs25.5 billion and the goal is to complete the work by November 2018 — but the project director has said that he hopes to complete it by the end of 2017, a hope that we can but echo. Two years is a long time to wait when the city’s water needs are growing by the day and existing infrastructure is likely to continue to deteriorate while K-IV is being constructed. Project funding is coming from both federal and provincial sources with the federal government already having released Rs80 million for the design and consultation phase, now concluded. The project appears to have across-the-board political support and be adequately funded, and although this is no guarantee of a successful outcome, it at least bodes well for a city that badly needs a drink of water. Now, if the federal and provincial governments could get on to the same page regarding law and order, the city really could light up again.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2016.

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