Karachi  - The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his meeting with the Chairman of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Lt Gen (R) Sajjad Ghani, at CM House, discussed several critical projects, including the K-IV project and the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD). He also urged him to provide an additional 50 MGD of water from the Hub Dam to meet the needs of Karachi.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Local Government Saeed Ghani, Minister of Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary of Irrigation Zareef Khero, and PD K-IV Amir Mughal.

At the outset, Shah stated that the Sindh government is in the process of constructing a parallel canal aimed at enhancing the water supply infrastructure and ensuring a more reliable source of water for the city. He urged WAPDA to allocate 50 MGD of additional water from the Hub Dam for Karachi.

The Chairman of WAPDA suggested that the CM direct the water board to submit a written request. Mayor of Karachi Murtaza Wahab confirmed that the request had already been made.

The WAPDA chief informed the CM that the water board owed Rs 1 billion to WAPDA for the maintenance of the Hub Canal. The CM responded that his government would settle the outstanding dues and instructed Minister of Local Government Saeed Ghani to send him a summary for this purpose, according to a communiqué.

The Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV (Phase-I) is planned to supply 260 MGD of bulk water to the mega city of Karachi at three termination points—Pipri, NEK, and Manghopir—from its source at Keenjhar Lake, Thatta. WAPDA is executing the project, and its completion date is set for June 2026.

On the other hand, the Sindh government is working on the distribution and augmentation system, establishing a power supply arrangement of 50 MW, and managing land acquisition and clearance of the right-of-way (ROW).

The Chairman of WAPDA provided an update on the status of the K-IV project, stating that it is being implemented through eight contract packages awarded to various local and international contractors. He emphasized that work on all components of the project, including the intake structure, pumping stations, water conveyance system (pressurized pipeline), water reservoirs, and filtration plants, is currently in full swing.

According to Lt Gen (Retd) Sajjad Ghani, the overall progress of the project is at 53 percent. The discussion also centred on the release of Rs 8.5 billion by the Sindh government as its share of the cost. In response, the Chief Minister instructed Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani to prepare a summary for the release of the Sindh government’s share.

Regarding the clearance of the 5 km right-of-way and associated court cases, the Chief Minister directed Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab to have the stay order vacated so that work on the project could proceed. Additionally, another land issue at RD 78 was addressed, and the Chief Minister instructed the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue to resolve the compensation case.

The CM and Chairman of WAPDA also discussed the RBOD-I and RBOD-III, the federally funded drainage projects implemented by WAPDA. These projects provide drainage facilities for saline effluent, agricultural surplus, and stormwater in the areas of Larkana, Dadu, and Jamshoro (RBOD-I), as well as Kambar Shahdadkot and Jacobabad (RBOD-III).

The Lower Indus Right Bank Irrigation and Drainage Project (LIRBP), specifically the RBOD-I Project, was initiated in 1994 to manage saline effluent and facilitate storm drainage control through existing and proposed drains, ultimately discharging into the River Indus above Sehwan town via the Indus Link Canal.

Sindh Minister of Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro indicated that the provincial government incurred millions of rupees on the repair and maintenance of the RBOD during the floods of 2022. In response, the Chief Minister remarked that WAPDA should reimburse the provincial government for these expenses.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister and the Chairman of WAPDA agreed to form an expert committee comprising members from WAPDA and the Irrigation Department. This committee will study the issues surrounding RBOD-I and RBOD-III to facilitate the eventual handover of the projects to the Sindh government.