Orangi, Baldia and Site Towns water closure postponed

Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has postponed the schedule of water closure for Orangi, Baldia and Site Towns which was to take effect from Friday for 72 hours.
According to new schedule, the supply of water in these towns will now remain closed from March 15 to 17.
According to a KWSB announcement, supply of water from Hub to Hub Canal will also remain suspended from March 15 to 20 for carrying out inter-connection of rising main of new Manghopir Pumping Station with the old rising main.
However, according to a decision taken at a meeting under the chairmanship of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, the supply of water to affected areas would be restored from the morning of March 16 from Indus source, while supply of 100 million gallons of water from Hub source would be fully restored to three Towns from March 20.
The meeting was attended by KWSB MD Brigadier Asif Ghazali, Deputy MD Technical Service Salman Chandio and other officials.
The decision to change the water closure schedule was taken as the Hub Canal will remain closed from March 15 to 20 during which the leakage's in pipelines at Banaras Chowk and installation of valve would be completed.
Water Board has appealed to people to conserve water to meet their requirements during water closure period.
Meanwhile Brigadier Ghazali, along with Salman Chandio, Mushtaq Memon, Ali Mohammed Palejo, Amjad Habib, Farrukh Naim and other engineers visited the new Manghopir Pumping Station.
Ghazali said the pumping station should be completed keeping the future requirements in view.
He directed that power generator at Hub pumping station be immediately repaired and said that it should be used during power shutdown so that supply of water could continue without interruption.
He called for strengthening of the pumping station's boundary walls along with installation of search lights, and said measures be taken for its protection against rains.
After the construction of new pumping station, the existing one will be used as standby arrangement for pumping K-3 and K-4 water.
He was informed that new pumping station would be completed by May 2004 where-after supply of 100 mgd water would start through it to Orangi, Baldia and SITE Towns as against 90 mgd being supplied at present.
The pumping station and a filter plant are being constructed with Japanese assistance.