Latest news with #KarachiWaterandSewerageCorporation
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
K-IV project: A number of key targets achieved: Wapda chief
KARACHI: Wapda Chairman Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd) has announced that Wapda has succeeded in achieving a number of key targets on Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV project) and concerted efforts are being made to complete Phase-I of the project in June 2026. During his visit to the Project here on Thursday, he further said that prompt availability of the required funds is the key for completion of the Project as per the schedule. The Chairman had a detailed visit of various work fronts to review construction progress. These work fronts included intake and pumping stations at Kinjhar Lake and water conveyance system comprising pressurized pipelines being laid from Kinjhar Lake to Karachi. The project team along with the Consultants and the Contractors briefed the Chairman about progress on all eight contracts including intake, pumping stations, pipelines, water reservoirs and filtration facilities. Two critical activities i.e. inserting two water carrier pipelines in sleeve pipes at main railways crossing and hydrostatic testing on the first 15 Km of the pipeline have recently been completed, while the second hydrostatic testing for another 25 Km single pipeline will be carried out in June. Timelines for the remaining works and plans to achieve the targets as well as financial progress and requirement of funds were also discussed during the briefing. Cumulative physical progress on the Project is 63 percent. Rs. 75.21 billion have so far been spent on the Project, while PC-I of the Project's Phase-I amounts to Rs. 126.4 billion. Underlining the importance of K-IV Project for Karachi, the Chairman directed the Project Team to excel construction activities to meet the timelines. He also directed them to maintain close liaison with other stakeholders for timely arrangement of power supply by the Government of Sindh and augmentation of the water distribution system by Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC). K-IV Project envisages providing 650 million gallon per day (MGD) water to Karachi from Kinjhar Lake. The Project is planned to be completed in two phases. At present, Wapda is constructing Phase-I to supply 260 MGD water to Karachi. Phase-II, when implemented, will also augment another 390 MGD water to the system for Karachi. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KW&SC board approves ‘Master Plan 2050'
KARACHI: A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) was held under the chairmanship of Mayor Karachi and Chairman KW&SC, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, which focused on major developments including the approval of the Master Plan 2050 and legal measures to prevent water theft. The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi, Dr Sarosh Lodhi, Abdul Kabir Qazi, Tanzil Pirzada, Zafar Sobani, CEO KW&SC Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, COO Engineer Asadullah Khan, and other board members. During the session, the minutes of the previous (ninth) board meeting were approved, while several significant agenda items were passed in the tenth meeting. Water board asked to fast-track execution of K-IV project A detailed discussion was held on the Master Plan 2050, which aims to improve water supply and drainage systems in Karachi over the long term. Mayor Murtaza Wahab directed that the implementation of Master Plan 2050 be expedited to ensure better water and sewerage services for the city's residents. The Board also considered legal amendments to combat water theft more effectively. A formal request will be submitted to the Sindh Government to provide the Water Corporation with the authority to confiscate properties of individuals involved in water theft. Additionally, key appointments were approved to strengthen the organizational structure. Muhammad Ammar Khan was appointed as Chief Financial Officer, Jamshed Raza as Chief Human Resource Officer, Naveed Afzal as Chief Strategy Officer, and Saadat Anwar as Chief Information Technology Officer. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Karachi's water woes show no signs of abating
Imagine a teeming city by the sea stuck in a chronic water crisis — a crisis perpetuated by inefficiency and greed of its civic authorities, a crisis used by a "mafia" as a bone to mint money, of course in connivance with some black sheep in the administration. Yes, it's Karachi. The metropolitan city plunges into made-made water crises with regular intervals. Every time, civic authorities blame it on pipeline ruptures before offering lip-service to the parched citizens. The latest water crisis - blamed on burst of the main 84-inch diameter pipeline near Karachi University - has exasperated after authorities shut down 10 pumps at the Dhabeji pumping station to plug the hole in the damaged pipeline. The pipeline, which burst on Tuesday morning, resulted in the wastage of millions of gallons of water and severe disruption to the city's supply. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has stopped the water flow and started repair work, which is expected to be completed by Saturday evening. It states that around 36 feet of the damaged pipeline — originally made of Pre-Stressed Reinforced Cement Concrete (PRCC) - will be replaced with a more durable Mild Steel (MS) pipe. To facilitate the repair operations, 10 pumps at the Dhabeji pumping station, the city key water supply source, millions of Karachiites are facing a daily shortfall of 200 million gallons of water. Over the past three days, this has amounted to a shortage of around 700 million gallons. Several neighbourhoods have been severely affected, including Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Jamshed Road, PIB Colony, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg, the Old City Area, and Defence-Clifton. Meanwhile, KWSC Managing Director Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui has constituted a three-member investigation committee to examine the causes of repeated failures in the city's main water supply lines. The committee will submit its findings directly to the MD. As per sources, the line failure may be linked to the installation of two 24-inch connections allegedly added to the main 84-inch conduit to supply Safoora and NIPA hydrants.
Express Tribune
27-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Neglect plagues city's water filtration plants
Six out of nine water filtration plants are in disrepair in Karachi city, where only 150 cylinders of chlorine are available each month. PHOTO: PIXABAY Where the supply of water remains an incessant woe, plaguing the peace of locals in Karachi, it appears that even the measly quantity of water supplied to the residents is not fit for consumption. Most of the water filtration plants of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) have been in disrepair in the city for many years. As a result, due to an inadequate amount of chlorine mixed in the water, many diseases, especially the deadly Naegleria, risk spreading among the local population. Talking to The Express Tribune, General Secretary of the People's Labour Union Mohsin Raza disclosed that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) has nine filter plants, out of which only three are in working condition while the remaining six have been in disrepair for many years. 'As a result, forty percent less chlorine is being added to the water supply in Karachi. Hence, the water reaching all districts across the city is not disinfected and is causing various types of diseases among the citizens. Due to the negligence of the top officials of the Water Corporation, the required amount of chlorine cylinders has not been available for a long time. At some places, the staff adds the right amount of chlorine during the day but at night, chlorine is mixed in less quantity. Approximately, 645 million gallons of water is being supplied daily to the city. For this amount of water, 240 cylinders of chlorine should be available per month; however, only 150 cylinders are being supplied,' revealed Raza. On the other hand, a spokesperson for the KW&SC while talking to The Express Tribune claimed that all nine filter plants with 32 chlorinators located across six different locations were functional. 'Chlorine tablets are being added to all water tankers going from the government hydrants of the Water Corporation. Apart from this, water samples are being analyzed on a regular basis in various laboratories of the Water Corporation,' claimed the spokesperson. The on-ground reality, however, proves otherwise. Last year, the Health Department of Sindh obtained more than 50 water samples from different districts of the city before testing them at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB's) laboratory. The results confirmed the presence of several contaminants including pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio cholerae, E. coli and total coliforms, all of which culminated into a diarrhoea outbreak, which affected at least 20,000 children between April to September last year. Similarly, Naegleria fowleri, which grows in contaminated water and is activated at 35 degrees Celsius, claimed four lives last year in Karachi. Just recently, a woman died of Naegleria in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of District East. Hence, it is expected that the amoeba will cause several casualties during the upcoming harsh summer months. Cardiologist and health expert Dr Muhammad Akram Sultan revealed that if there is excess chlorine in water and it is used continuously, it will cause eye irritation, difficulty in breathing, coughing, vomiting, itching and stomach pain. "Water that has a high chlorine content and is used for a long time can also cause bladder and anal cancer," informed Dr Sultan. While commenting on the precautionary measures needed to control the spread of Naegleria, the KW&SC spokesperson advised citizens to clean the overhead and underground tanks storing water on a monthly basis and avoid bathing in swimming pools, ponds and reservoirs with unchlorinated water. 'Apart from this, citizens should use one chlorine tablet in a 1,000-gallon water tank, which is enough for 15 days. People should use boiled or chlorinated water while performing ablution and bathing or for cleaning the nose in general,' emphasized the official.
Express Tribune
24-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Bulk line faults perpetuate water crisis
With the arrival of 2025, the deplorable state of Karachi's water supply system has come to the fore as three consecutive incidents of damage to the bulk water lines have perpetuated a shortage of water across most areas of the city. Mohsin Raza, General Secretary of the People's Labour Union of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), leveled serious allegations against the KWSC. "This issue has been ongoing for several years, but KWSC has not replaced the old pipelines. Despite the World Bank providing a loan of 1.6 billion US dollars for the restructuring of KWSC, the old pipelines have not been replaced. The relief of the public should have been a priority," said Raza. In December last year, an 84-inch water pipeline was damaged due to development work on the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit System on University Road. However, KWSC shut down the water supply from Dhabeji Pumping Station for 17 days for the repair of the pipeline. Later, in January this year, a 72-inch pipeline burst due to an electricity breakdown at Dhabeji Pumping Station, affecting the city's water supply for two days. In the next month, the water supply to most areas of the city was shut down for another four days due to repair work on three bulk lines near Purani Sabzi Mandi. Similarly, on March 10, all pumps at the Hub Pumping Station were shut down due to an electricity breakdown, affecting the water supply in District West and District Kemari for almost a day. "The Chief Minister should investigate why so many faults are occurring in the bulk water system. Under the supervision of KWSC, hydrants are making 40,000 to 50,000 trips daily, supplying 30 to 40 million gallons of water. In this scenario, dozens of illegal hydrants are operating in the city, stealing water from the Water Corporation's lines and selling it. Both the legal and illegal hydrants are looting citizens through the tanker mafia," claimed Raza. A KWSC officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that bulk water lines burst at various times throughout the year since some of them were 60 to 70 years old and had become extremely corroded. "Electricity breakdowns and water backpressure cause the old lines to burst. These lines should have been replaced years ago. The 72-inch bulk water line from Dhabeji is also corroded and often bursts. Other bulk water lines have exceeded their lifespan however, residential houses and illegal structures have been built on top of them. Before replacing these lines, KWSC will need to remove these encroachments," noted the official. Riaz Azhar, Chairman of the Hassan Square Union Council in Gulshan Town called out KWSC for not replacing the old lines. "Every year, bulk water lines burst, and KWSC fails to replace them. This raises questions about the corporation's intentions. Last year, during the water crisis in December, the tanker mafia made billions of rupees. This year, three similar incidents have occurred, perpetuating water shortages and strengthening the tanker mafia," implored Azhar. Regional Planner Dr Syed Nawaz Al-Huda criticized the KWSC's higher officials for not rectifying the bulk water supply system. "An inquiry should be carried out on the performance of these officials. Every month, some pipe bursts causing water shortages in most areas of the city and forcing citizens to buy expensive tankers. The bulk water supply system should be strengthened to prevent such incidents," he emphasized. Commenting on the matter, a KWSC spokesperson stated that Karachi received 650 million gallons of water daily from the Indus River and Hub Dam, but the city's demand was 1,200 million gallons, resulting in a daily shortfall of 550 million gallons. "The World Bank and the Sindh government are jointly replacing the 72-inch line at the Dhabeji Pumping Station. This is expected to be completed within the next four months," said the official.
