Daily Times

KARACHI: Greater Karachi Sewage (S-III) Development Project was initiated by former city district government Karachi at an estimated cost of Rs 7.9 billion and now the cost has reached at Rs 42 billion without reasons.

This was stated by the former city Nazim and Chairman Pak Sar Zameen Party, Syed Mustafa Kamal before Judicial Commission of inquiry into water crisis and poor sanitation facilities here on Friday.

Headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro Judicial Commission set-up by Supreme Court of Pakistan is inquiring into water crisis and poor sanitation facilities of the province.

Karachi is witnessing acute shortage of potable water. The demand of Karachi city is more than 1,100 Million Gallons Daily (MGD) but currently the city is receiving 650 MGD of water.

Mustafa informed the commission that Karachi receives quota of 1,200 Cusecs water per day as per agreement but Karachi’s population has increased manifold, therefore this quota may be enhance to double for meeting not only current but future requirements as well. While sharing his experience as City District Nazim, Mustafa Kamal informed that parallel to Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) water system, the industries in SITE have an independent system of water supply which they (SITE) are running illegally under the pretext of taking subsoil water.

He further informed that illegal water hydrants are running with impunity which may be ordered to be removed. About water meters purchased by him in his tenure to monitor bulk water supply which in his view are currently lying in the store of KW&SB be directed to install these meters to check and monitor water supply system.

He also suggested that when S-III development project was conceived in his tenure, its estimated cost was Rs 7.9 billion but now the cost has reached at Rs 42 billion, but no one is articulating the reasons for such enhancement, therefore an inquiry into this aspect of the matter may be conducted.

He proposed that keeping in view the quantum of shortage of potable water for Karachi, along with K-IV Phase-I, the remaining phases of the project may be started to meet the water deficiency.

While speaking on the matter relating to revenue, Mustafa Kamal said, no government institution, department or agency is paying their water bill. He asserted that all the government institutions may be made responsible to pay water bills and clear outstanding dues to improve service capacity of water supply system. He is of the view that instead of spending money on hospitals for treating water borne-diseases, the investment shall be made on supply system of clean water. In Pakistan, about 350,000 children are dying per year due to water borne diseases, he informed, adding, that he has proposed that the up-gradation work of current treatment plants may be immediately started and schemes for new treatment plants be devised to treat the entire effluent that according to his estimation is more that 500 MGD and is directly be discharge in Arabian sea.