Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has awarded a component of civil work on open canal and 20-kilometre-long conduit to National Logistic Cell (NLC) in an open tender bid, officials of KWSB have informed.

Rs 6 billion drinking water project from Haleji Lake to Gharoo comprises four components and was approved in 2015 by the Sindh government.

NLC won Rs 2.10 billion contract as lowest bidder and entity has also given a rebate of Rs 380 million to KWSB in this regard, officials have confirmed. NLC would construct an open canal and water conduit in 15 months after starting work while tender period of the completion is set 18 months.

The entity would also carry out additional water supply link work with existing water supply pipelines systems of Malir, Bin Qasim, Landhi, Korangi, new Malir Scheme, Malir Development Authority and DHA.

NLC is an army and public sector transportation and construction arm and specifically designed to address needs of people.

The Sindh government has already released Rs 1 billion for the project and so far KWSB has spent Rs 250 million on the water development scheme, officials revealed.

Zafar Palejo is the fourth KWSB Director of the project. In this connection he was confident that department would try its best to complete this project in an early period and tender process for three remaining components of the project would be soon completed.

He was of the view that timely release of funds for the job would enable KWSB to accomplish the completion period date.

After completion of the project additional 65 million gallons per day (MGD) water supply from the abandoned water reservoir to Pipri would be available to these areas.

The current drinking water needs of Karachi stands at around 1,250 MGD but only 650 MGD is being supplied through KWSB pipelines system.

Haleji, an earth-filled artificial lake spread over six square-miles, was built in 1940 during World War II, when then British government in Sindh decided to increase capacity of Lake by introducing a feeder canal from River Indus.

Published in Daily Times, January 2^nd 2018.