• Water utility might get Rs700m within the present fiscal after approval from cupboard
• A subsidiary of defence manufacturing ministry is more likely to undertake the formidable venture, says official
KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Company (KWSC) has approached the Sindh authorities for grant of funds required for its formidable Rs12 billion venture for building of a brand new canal to provide water to the metropolis from Hub Dam and rehabilitation of the prevailing one, it emerged on Tuesday.
Not too long ago, the board of the KWSC had permitted the venture to construct one other canal and rehabilitate the prevailing one with an estimated value of Rs12bn.
Officers stated that the provincial authorities would launch Rs700 million, underneath the annual growth programme of the present fiscal yr, shortly for the venture after the approval of the Sindh cupboard in its upcoming assembly.
Karachi has two main sources of water provide — the Indus River and the Hub Dam. The Indus supply by means of Keenjhar Lake gives water for about 570 Million Gallons Day by day (MGD), whereas the availability from Hub Dam by means of Hub Canal has significantly diminished from 100 MGD to 70 MGD.
Speaking to Daybreak, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who’s the chairman of the board of the KWSC, stated that 200 MGD could possibly be offered to town from the dam after the completion of the brand new canal venture in 12 months.
Round 100 MGD water is equipped to district West from the Hub Dam by means of the prevailing Hub Canal, which has been in dilapidated situation and develops cracks continuously, particularly through the moist season when the dam is overflowed.
He stated that the board had additionally famous that the choice of taking up canal restore by means of authorities funds ought to have been taken lengthy in the past, because the demand for water was rising each passing day within the metropolis.
In his letter to the Sindh chief minister, the mayor requested that the rehabilitation of Hub Canal underneath public-private-partnership (PPP) mode could also be dropped and obligatory approval might kindly be granted for the position of funds amounting to Rs12.72bn with a breakup of Rs700 million within the annual growth programme of FY24 and Rs12bn in FY25, accordingly.
Knowledgeable sources informed Daybreak that the CM had permitted the venture and directed the water utility to submit the proposal within the subsequent cupboard assembly by means of a abstract.
KWSC Chief Govt Officer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed informed Daybreak that the Hub Canal, inbuilt 1982-84, had outlived its life over a interval of time and resulting from flash floods up to now few years, the liner and infrastructure of the canal has been broken.
He stated that an effort had been made by the provincial authorities to undertake Hub Canal Rehabilitation Challenge underneath Public-Non-public Partnership (PPP) for the final three years, nevertheless, the venture underneath PPP mode seems to be extraordinarily excessive in the fee amounting to Rs75bn.
Mr Ahmed stated that within the given scenario, Wah Building Restricted, a subsidiary of Ministry of Defence Manufacturing, had submitted its proposal to undertake rehabilitation of present Hub Canal and building of the brand new canal of 100 MGD parallel to the prevailing one as effectively.
“The proposal has a monetary value for brand new canal and rehabilitation to the tune of Rs9.8 bn and Rs2.92bn, respectively,” he added.
The water utility chief stated that the proposal of M/s. Wah Building Restricted was positioned earlier than the Board of KWSC in its 4th assembly on Might 7, 2024 for its consideration.
“The board, after thorough deliberations, gave concurrence to the proposal and its subsequent placement earlier than the cupboard for the resolution,” he stated.
Revealed in Daybreak, Might twenty ninth, 2024