CM wants Wapda to complete its part of K-IV project by September 2025

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, as he reviewed the progress in the ongoing K-IV bulk water supply project on Saturday, set a deadline for the completion of the Wapda components of the intake structure, which includes finishing two pumping stations along with civil, electrical and mechanical works by September 2025.

The CM said he would discuss the pending augmentation project, the Sindh component of the K-IV, with the federal government, which has been pending since March 2022 and directed the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to get consultancy services for the augmentation works for which he would arrange the funds.

The meeting to review the K-IV project was held at the CM House and attended by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, Sindh Planning & Development Board Chairman Najam Shah, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi, Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero and KWSC Chief Executive Officer Salahuddin.

Murad was told that the K-IV mainstream works were being implemented by Wapda and its 100 per cent funding of Rs126 billion would be provided by the federal government.

The meeting was told that there were eight contract packages that had been awarded for the construction phase. In March 2024, a World Bank mission was informed that Rs40.36 billion had been released for the project against the allocation of Rs52.62 billion. The main reason for its possible delay could be the failure to arrange funds in a timely manner, it was said.

Murad said he would talk to the federal government to release Rs30 to 40 billion allocated in its Public Sector Development Programme.

The meeting was told that the K-IV Augmentation was a Rs74 billion-component of the project being funded by World Bank. It was being implemented by the Sindh government through the KWSC and Karachi Water & Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP).

The CM was told that the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) had conditionally approved the PC-I of the K-IV Augmentation in August 2023 and its compliance was to be submitted in October 2023. However, the Planning Commission returned it in January 2024 with the direction to revisit it and justify the cost increase of Rs40 billion.

A revised compliance report was submitted on February 13, which is under review at the Planning Commission before authorisation, the meeting was told.

It was said that the Environmental and Social Studies (ESS) of the K-IV Augmentation and Mainstream projects had been undertaken and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) no-objection certificates for both projects had also been obtained from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. As soon as authorisation was received, the tendering process would commence, it was said.

The CM said the provincial cabinet had already approved the counterpart fund amounting to Rs984 million.

KB Feeder Lining

The KB Feeder Lining is a Rs40 billion project being funded by the federal and Sindh governments on a 50:50 basis. It would be executed by the irrigation department.

As per the water balance study conducted by the KWSSIP, the water for K-IV could only be extracted from the Keenjhar Lake if the KB feeder upper side was lined, the meeting was told.

The CM said the World Bank wanted the irrigation department to expedite the completion of the procurement process. The irrigation secretary informed the CM that the KB feeder upper lining project was in the tendering process and the bids were expected to be received in the second week of the ongoing month.