Daily Times

KARACHI: The Water Commission has sought an explanation from the consultant of Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (K-IV) over the realignment of 22 conduits, officials of the commission revealed Monday.

The commission directed Usmani and Company, the consultant, to submit a detailed justification within three days as to why the project was revised.

It has been observed that K-IV project has suffered adversely due to frequent realignment.

Reports have suggested that the changes were done deliberately to benefit Bahria Town Scheme.

The consultant was also directed to spell out authority of person under whose orders they had allowed realignment.

K-IV Project Director Asad Zamin and Col (r) Ajmal Rasheed, executive director of the consultant company, failed to satisfy the commission over the realignment of conduits.

Expressing its dismay, the commission noted that a strict action would be taken against all involved persons if they could not justify their act.

Talking to Daily Times, Asad Zamin said that some changes were necessary as railway tracks and a power project in Jhimpir were intercepting the project, besides a cemetery was also avoided.

Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) Managing Director Khalid Mahmood Sheikh held consultants responsible for the realignment.

The realignment, which was brought for change in route of water lines, include areas of private lands at Bin Qasim (10 acres), Deh Abdar (12.24 acres), Chohar (32 acres), Deh Amin-ollai (27 acres) Deh Kathore (62 acres), Deh Konkar (99.23 acres), Deh Northen (296 acres), Deh Shah Murid (253 acres) and Deh Allah Fai (229 acres).

There are estimated 630 private owners and they will be compensated according to respective size of assets. In this connection a notification was issued in September 2015.

The K-IV water conduit project would run on around 11,396 acres of government’s land, besides 1,053 acres of private owners’ land.

The water scheme will run through 222 kilometers from Keenjhar Lake Thatta to Karachi, including 99 kilometers under canal water system.

Around 600-meter area on both sides of conduits has been declared free from any sort of construction in order to provide protection to water pipelines.

The 1,000 feet wide K-IV Right of Way corridor passing behind Deewan Cement Factory has been jointly demarcated by senior official of Frontier Works Organisation, who had earlier visited DCF located near Pipri in Deh Dhando along with the K-IV project director and a team of the Project Management Unit officials.

Published in Daily Times, May 15^th 2018.