Pakistan People's Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Tuesday inaugurated 100 MGD new pumping station at Dhabeji. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while giving briefing on the occasion said the whole machinery of this pumping station, including motors have been imported from Germany. "These are four pumping machines, each with a capacity of 25 MGD, therefore the total capacity would come to 100 MGD.

Shah disclosed that 260 MGD additional water was available in the system for Karachi but due to lack of required infrastructure and defective conveyance system the water could not be provided to the city.

At present, he said Karachi is being provided 450 MGD and with the commissioning of new 100 MGD pumping house, 50 MGD additional water would be available for Karachi. It means from Kinjhar source the city will be receiving 500 MGD. Karachi was receiving 100 MGD from Hub sources but due to defects in canal line losses have gone up to 30 MGD.

The chief minister said that he has held a meeting and approved renovation, revamping and reconstruction of water canal from Hub to District West so that 100 MGD could be brought in the city. In this way the water board would be able to provide 600 MGD to the city very soon.

"We are constructing K-IV in collaboration with the federal government and all the bottlenecks and design defects, if any, would be removed very soon and work would be started," he said.

The pumping station constructed under phase-1 was commissioned in 1959. It had 1400 HP motor pumps operating on diesel and gas fuel. This old pumping station was manufactured by a German Company and its pumps were still being operated/used with extensive repairs but its efficiency/capacity had badly affected.

The old pumping station constructed in 1959 under phase-I of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply scheme (K-I phase-I) has outlived its design life and had in operation for the last 60 years.

Therefore, the government decided to construct new pump house in place of the old one. New Pumping house has the capacity of 100 MGD and it would add 50 MGD in the system which was not being supplied to the city due to old machine.

Those who spoke on the occasion include Minister Labour Saeed Ghani, Minister Local Government Nasir Shah and MD Water Board Asadullah Khan.

Meanwhile PPP chairman directed the Sindh government to construct Haleji Lake Road for the convenience of the people of the area and visitors.