K-IV project designs closer to finalisation

Karachi’s water crisis, which has been a bane for its citizens for the past 15 years, saw a glimmer of hope a decade ago with the launch of the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme. Dubbed as the K-IV project, the multibillion rupee scheme was to offer the city a 650 MGD supply and amend Karachi’s long-standing water shortage, but was plagued with delays and became less a reality and more a distant dream for Karachiites.

However, after many years of back and forth, it appears the project has finally reached the concluding stages of its design, under the supervision of the National Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), and is slated to be fully drafted by sometime next week. After the preparation and approval of PC-1, the development work will start from January next year, and the project itself is expected to be completed in two years.

According to the details, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, an institution of the Sindh government, started design work on the additional water supply project K-IV in 2007. The project was finally approved in 2015 after several rounds of red tape due to the inattention of the federal and provincial government bureaucracies.

Read WASA to streamline water billing system

The plan submitted by the Sindh government to the federal government included 650 million gallons of water per day under the approved project; the project was to be constructed in three phases. Phase One consisted of 260 MGD, Phase Two 260 MGD and Phase Three 130 MGD. The entire project was to be completed by 2023.

Construction work on Phase One 260 MGD surplus water supply project was to begin in 2016, and reach completion by 2018 at the cost of 25.5 billion rupees, which had to be paid equally by the federal and Sindh governments. Due to the inattention of the Sindh government however, construction work on the project was stopped in 2018.

Sources allege that this was due to poor planning, poor design and an increase of Rs150 billion in construction costs. Some Rs11 billion was spent during this period, and 40 per cent of construction work was done.

In any case, on the long-standing demand of the citizens of Karachi, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, handed over the project from the Sindh government to the federal government agency WAPDA in 2020.

A WAPDA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the biggest flaw in the old design was that it was being constructed under a canal system that was extremely unsuitable due to the mountain ranges in the area.

“We have appointed consultant firm Techno Consult International for preparation of new designs on merit under the tender process. Its subsidiaries are ILF Austria and MM Pakistan. The three companies have designed an additional 650 MGD water supply project in four months, the tip of which is being repaired,” informed the WAPDA official.

Read more Water crisis

Speaking further, he said that the project’s cost could not be ascertained yet, but is likely be around Rs200 billion.

Project Consultant Team Leader Dr Mohammad Bashir Lakhani told The Express Tribune that the design of the K-IV project had been prepared at 650 MGD, and the whole plan is based on the Pip system. “The canal system was not profitable due to the topography and geography of the route. Under the new design, the length of the project has been reduced from 121km to 110km, which will affect the cost.”

Per Lakhani, the special feature of this design is that the old design covered 260 MGD, and the new plan spans 650 MGD, which is great for the citizens of Karachi. He said the project would be constructed on the old route that starts from Keenjhar Lake and will reach Karachi via Super Highway.

Speaking in the regard, WAPDA General Manager Farhat Kamal said that the project’s design is in the final stage and will be ready by next week. Construction work will start from January next year and will be completed in 2 years. “Excavations had been carried out for the construction work under the old design, and it would be taken advantage of,” he told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2021.