F.P. Report
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed Karachi water board to provide water to the water-affected areas of the city, particularly District West where at least one million gallon additional water is required.
He issued these directives today while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Committee Room of the Finance department to devise water management plan for the areas facing water shortage. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, provincial Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Adl IG Karachi Mushtaq Maher, Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Ali Khan, MD water board Khalid Sheikh and others.
Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro briefing the chief minister said that the main source to provide water to Karachi are Kinjhar (River Indus) and Hub Dam from where water is pumped through three main bulk pumping stations located at Dhabeji Pumping Station, Gharo and Hub. He added that the normal criteria of water supply from Indus is 550 MGD while it 100 MGD from Hub. Mr Shoro said that population of the city is 17 million and maximum water demand comes to 918 MGD as per 54 gpcd. The industrial demand for water comes to 126 mgd. MD Water board Khalid Shaikh said that the present water supply from Indus has come down to 450 mgd and 30 MGD from Hub. This shows that the difference of supply, 480 MGD and demand, 918 MGD comes to 438 MGD.
The chief minister said that he has reports that there was water shortage in Orangi Town, Baldia, SITE, Gadap and partially Nazimabad of Distt West. At this the MD water board said that these areas depend on Hub Dam which has depleted to only 30 MGD instead of 115 MGD.
Deputy Commissioner South Asif Jameel told the meeting that two RO plants, one operating at Lyari – Ahmed Shah area and other one at Civil Line-Shireen Jinnah area. He said that these both the plants have stopped working due to disconnection of their power connection. On this the chief minister expressed displeasure and directed MD water board to get them operational by tomorrow. “I want you to clear their power bills and make them operational and send the report by Monday evening,” he directed MD water board. Deputy Commissioner West Tariq Chandio said that at present the water board through tankers provides 300 MGD water to district West which is insufficient to cater to the need of the area. The chief minister directed the water board to Chief Minister House, Sindh provide one million gallons water to District West. This water would be provided through tankers and would be distributed by the deputy commissioner.
The DC west said that there were only 257 water tanks in the West in which water tankers are downloaded for public consumption. The chief minister issued directives to establish 100 more fiber tanks so that one million gallons water could easily be downloaded there. The chief minister also directed all the deputy commissioners of different districts of the city to file their demand of water requirement with water board so that it could make arrangements of the tankers accordingly. He also directed the deputy commissioners to set up more water tanks in their respective area, if required, and down load water tankers there so that people could take water from there.
The chief minister directed Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon to look after the implementation of the plan he has given to the water board and provide them funds whatever they need.
