Sindh government grants K-IV's phase-II clearance

At Rs58 billion, total cost is double that of phase-I

KARACHI: The Sindh government has given conceptual clearance to the K-IV project’s second phase. The Rs58 billion mega project will ensure the provision of 260 million gallons of water a day to the city. However, experts are questioning why the cost is double that of the first phase, which was approved at Rs25.5 billion.

The water crisis in Karachi has worsened. Given the population of the metropolis, 1.1 billion gallons is the current need of the city per day, but at present, a mere 400 million gallons a day is being provided.
Water board authorities requested the federal and provincial authorities to initiate the K-IV mega project back in 2006. After a 10-year delay, development work started on the first phase of the project only last year.

Sources told Express News that the mega project has yet to get final clearance from the federal Central Development and Working Party. It is believed to be a lengthy and tedious process that can take up to several months. After this, a consultancy firm will be hired, which will be responsible for the project’s design and coming up with the PC-1 before any development work can commence.



Water board officer and K-IV director Saleem Siddiqui told Express News the clearance for phase-II will help initiate development work sooner rather than later. The Sindh government is also said to be busy in discussions with Chinese investors willing to invest in the K-IV project.

Siddiqui explained that the project was conceived over 10 years ago and the materials used at the time have since become expensive, hence the rise in cost of the project’s second phase. Another factor is that the second phase has more developmental work as compared to the previous phase.

Siddiqui said that the project will stretch from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi, over 100 kilometres, at a cost of Rs36 billion, while the remaining Rs22 billion will be spent on additional developmental work. He explained that the additional work included the supply of water and electricity, linked with the water board’s distribution network. He added that for an uninterrupted supply of electricity, a 70km transmission line will be installed at two pumping stations at the Keenjhar Lake, with the help of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Corporation.



There will also be two power grid stations installed, at a cost of Rs7 billion. A Rs15 billion Augmentation Plan will see four 84-inch pipes that are 10km long installed and linked to the Pipri pumping station and filtration plant. This plan also includes the installation of a 25km long pipeline from interior Narathar to COD filtration plant.
However, the engineers working on the K-IV project say that the cost of the project is too high and should be scrutinised by external sources. Land of up to Rs5 billion have already been acquired for the development of K-IV project’s phases II and III.