305-feet-mark: ‘Hub Dam will give citizens relief for over a year’

KARACHI: Hub Dam, one of the main sources of water supply to the city, regained a new life after its water level rose to 305 feet on Monday. The positive situation emerged after the recent rainfall in lower Sindh, including the 250 kilometre radius of the dam’s catchment area till Khuzdar, Balochistan.

“This has been a blessing for us as it is one of the main sources of water for the city, especially District West,” said Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) chief engineer Sikandar Ali Zardari.

Before the recent rainfall, the water level of the dam was around 297 feet, explained Zardari. However, he added that the level is expected to rise to 310 feet.

The catchment area received three spells of rain this year; one at the end of June, one at the start of August and one two days ago, said Zardari, adding that KWSB will now be able to supply water for approximately a year.

Last time the dam was filled to capacity was in 2013 but it reached dead-level in February this year and supply was suspended till July, he said.

A recently inaugurated Rs300 million project will allow Hub Dam to supply 50 million gallons of water per day (MGD), he claimed. Zardari said that the project was initiated after the dam reached its dead-level and there was no rise in the level of water for months. The dam is now able to supply 100MGD to the city, KWSB managing-director Misbahuddin Farid said, adding that a few months ago, KWSB was fearful of water scarcity in the city but the rains have solved their problems for now.

The city receives 500 to 550MGD from the Indus River, whereas the additional 100MGD from Hub Dam will give the citizens a relief for more than a year, Farid added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2016.