Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB)'s proposed K-IV 150-mgd water project is in jeopardy as Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has refused to allocate additional 1,200 cusecs water to it, leaving the much needed water project in doldrums, well-placed sources in the KW&SB told Business Recorder.
The sources on the basis of anonymity revealed of the project that even though its feasibility report had been completed, the water allocation issue from Irsa had now created a new problem for the KW&SB.
They apprised that in 1958, government had allocated about 250 cusecs water to Karachi, which was later in 1988 by the then government increased to 1,200 cusecs water. They said that Irsa had refused to allocate the additional 1,200 cusecs water demanded by KW&SB for its another mega water K-IV project on account of non-availability of sufficient water reservoirs in the River Indus.
They added that Irsa had allocated 1,200 cusecs water to Karachi, which was its complete water quota and it could not be further increased. According to KW&SB, water demand in the city would rise to 1,242 mgd against the supply of 629 mgd by 2025, which could not be met despite establishing the K-IV water project.
With the completion of K-III 100-mgd water project, the allocation of 1,200 cusecs water from Indus River to Karachi was fully utilised and still huge amount of water was required to meet the increasing demand in the metropolis, they maintained.
The sources said that if the proposed K-IV project could not be initiated, the worst kind of water crisis in the city was feared to emerge as water consumption was on a constant rise against the supply. They said that KW&SB, the only water supply authority in the city, had been in severe financial crisis due to high level of corruption and mismanagement.
The city's population by 2025 would touch 23 million while water availability would only be 629 mgd, the same of 2005 when the population was only 12.59 million and water demand was 594 mgd, KW&SB official figures indicated. The huge gap in water supply and demand was going to be the main issue in the forthcoming years, the sources added.
In 2000, the city's population was 11 million and water supply was 463 mgd against the demand of 594 mgd, depicting a shortfall of 131 mgd water supply by the KW&SB, leaving a huge portion of city population thirsty. Similarly, the froth coming years will also be difficult for city's population from 2005 to 2025, the water availability will be the same whereas its demand will be manifold high.
In a nutshell, the government has completely failed to cope with the water problems in the city and chalking out an exhaustive and compact water provision plan to provide city's population with potable water 24 hours a day and whole year uninterruptedly.