Murad approves setting up two desalination plants

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah keeping in view the water requirement of the city has decided to install two new seawater desalination plants, each one of five million gallons per day and to acquire a seawater desalination plant abandoned at Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP).

"This will help to provide drinking water to the people living in old areas of the city and DHA," he said on Sunday while presiding over a meeting to review the status of some important projects of the city here at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by Minister Information Sharjeel Memon, Minister Local Govt Nasir Shah, Administrator KMC Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Secretary LG Najam Shah and Special Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh and other concerned officers.

The meeting was told that Karachi was the city of 20 million people and its water requirement stood at 12,00 MGD against which 655 MGD was being provided showing a shortfall of 535 MGD.

Minister Local Govt Nasir Shah said that KWSB has prepared a scheme to set up a seawater desalination plant (SWDSP) of five MGD capacity to supply water to the users in district South.

Three locations for installation of desalination plants- Ibrahim Hyderi, Ayesha Masjid DHA-VII and Seaview at village restaurant were proposed.

The CM approved Ibrahim Hyderi at Korangi Creek which is one and half kilometers away from Dhari Island.

The intake from this location would supply water to the Ghazi Pumping Station via Coast Guard Chowrangi where another pumping facility is available as a backup in case of a failure or other emergent circumstances at Ghazi Pumping Station.

The chief minister directed the local government department to install another 5 MGD desalination plant near Lyari so that Lyari could be provided water from there.

He also directed the local government minister to talk to a private firm which had installed a 1.2 MGD desalination plant to provide water to KANUPP.

The nuclear power plant had installed its own plant therefore that plant was abandoned and could be used to provide water to the city.