KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that water and public transport projects in progress in the city were being given top priority so that they could be completed in public interest. This he said on Friday while presiding over a meeting at CM House to review ongoing water supply and public transportation projects in the metropolis. The chief minister said that the over all water demand of the city based on 54 Gallon per capita per day (GPCD) amounted to 918 MGD. “There is a huge shortfall and there is a dire need to meet the water requirements of the city,” noted CM Murad. On this, Karachi Water and Sewage Board (KWSB) Managing Director Khalid Shaikh told the CM that the water supply to the city had decreased from 100 MGD to 12 MGD due to scanty rains at Hub source. The KWSB MD further explained that the gross supply of water to Karachi was 493 MGD and losses incurred during transmission had been gauged at 148 MGD. “Therefore, net supply stands at 345 MGD leaving a gap of 573 MGD against the demand of 918 MGD,” said Shaikh. The CM said that free of cost tankers should be made available in water-starved areas of the city in order to cater to the demand for potable water. He said that this would be done through the help of deputy commissioners from the water-starved districts. The CM also informed the meeting that he had decided to install a desalination plant. The meeting was then told that SITE demanded 80 MGD against which they were being supplied only six MGD, while the FB industrial area demanded 20 MGD and received only three MGD. The CM was told that Landhi Korangi demanded 50 MGD and received 15 MGD wheras the Super Highway SITE demanded 50 MGD and got only one MGD. On this the chief minister remarked that he was equally focused on the issues of domestic water supply and industrial requirement. Murad Ali Shah directed the KWSB MD to complete four important on-going water supply projects including 60 MGD recycling, 260 MGD K-IV, 65 MGD Bulk Schemes and 100 MGD pump house schemes. Khalid Shaikh told the CM that these schemes would be completed in December 2020 and 100 MGD pump House schemes of Rs1.43 million would become operational by March 2019. The CM said that S-III project included rehabilitation of existing Treatment Plant I&III of 100 MGD and 180 MGD respectively and construction of new Treatment Plant STP-IV of 180 MGD at Korangi and 100 MGD at KPT STP-V. “These projects would have the facility to treat 608 MGD of water,” said the CM. The Water Board MD told the chief minister that the cost of S-III was Rs36.12 billion (bn). Briefing the CM about the progress being made in these projects, Khalid Shaikh said that overall, 23 percent of work including 26 percent of civil work had already been completed. The CM then directed him to expedite these works and also asked the Planning and Development (P&D) chairman Mohammad Waseem to update him about the progress on a routinely basis. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman, P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Karachi Commissioner Sauleh Farooqi, Line Director Zubair Channa, Transport secretary Hafeez Umrani, K-IV project director Asad Zamin and other relevant officials. In a separate meeting with the Chinese Consul General Wang Yu, CM Murad sought support of Chinese authorities in the completion of several development projects he had initiated during his last tenure. These projects included Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), Keti Bandar and Dhabeji Economic Zone. Highlighting the importance of KCR, CM Murad told the Chinese envoy that KCR was included in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its completion was crucial for the metropolis. Acknowledging that there had been a delay in revamping KCR projects, CM Murad said that it was the right time to complete the KCR. CM Murad said that the project of Keti Bandar and Dhabeji Economic Zone were also on his priorities. He told Consul General that land had already been allocated for special economic zone (SEZ) at Dhabeji and funds had also allocated for development of its infrastructure. The Chinese Consul General said that Chinese authorities were keen to complete CPEC projects and they would fulfill all their commitments made with previous government in Pakistan. He also showed interest in some non-CPEC projects such as installation of desalination plant, construction of water treatment plants and development of sewerage system. He said that the Chinese authorities were also interested in working with Sindh government in canal lining. The chief minister on the occasion directed Principal Secretary, Sohail Rajput to direct Board of Investment and P&D Department to further coordinate with Chinese Consul General Office and start working on the proposed projects. Published in Daily Times, September 15th 2018.