12 years on, K-IV project continues facing delays

Around Rs25b spent so far less than 25% work is done with estimating cost rising to Rs90b

KARACHI: The K-IV project is facing delays yet again. No plan of action for the completion of the project has been devised by either the Centre or the Sindh government.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah invited leaders of various political parties and sought their opinions on the project but no significant progress has been made in this regard. It seems unlikely that the K-IV project would be completed in the next few years.

The K-IV project was launched in 2007 to address the water shortage by supplying 25MGD of water. However, the project remains incomplete despite the passage of 12 years. Initially, the estimated cost of the K-IV project was Rs25b which the federal and provincial governments were going to share equally. Sources say that the Centre has released around Rs10b for the project while Sindh government has spent around Rs15b so far but only 15 to 20 per cent of the work has been completed. A 124km-long water line has to be laid and 30km of the line would fall in an area where local residents have obtained a stay order from the court hence the project could not be completed.

Pumping stations for the K-IV project were to be constructed, conduits had to make, besides other work related to electricity had to be done but nothing could be done so far. Sources claim that neither the Centre nor the Sindh government seems to be serious about the project. They maintain that the same is true for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB).

Where the Rs25b - reportedly invested by the Sindh and federal governments - has been utilised, is not known. Some land has been bought by Sindh government but only 15 to 20 per cent of the work has been done despite the expenditure of Rs25b which is the amount the project was initially estimated to cost. The estimated cost has reportedly now reached up to Rs90b.

Senior KWSB officials say that as the situation stands, it is unlikely that the project would be completed in the next five years. Water shortage prevails in the city but the government's efforts are seemingly restricted to only issuing statements about the project. Another project, meant to provide 100MGD of water also faces delays with its completion nowhere in sight.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2019.