CM questions recurring leakages in supply line across city • Orders KWSC to resolve all issues and ensure proper supply from today • Directs water utility to conduct survey of old lines for their repair and replacement KARACHI: The performance of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) came under scrutiny on Friday after Sindh chief minister took notice of the ongoing water crisis triggered by the rupture of a main supply line about 10 days ago, and sought an explanation from the utility for the recurring leakages in major pipelines across the city. Presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the K-IV Augmentation Project at the CM House, Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah referred to the recent water pipeline burst at the University of Karachi and said that the frequent ruptures in water supply lines were unacceptable. While the KWSC had claimed to have plugged the leakage in more than four days, water supply to affected localities could not return to normal despite a passage of 10 days. “Ultimately the citizens have to suffer. Therefore, it [the issue] must be resolved once and for all,” he said and also directed the KWSC to ensure proper water supply from today. A statement issued from the CM House said that the the meeting was attended among others by Energy Minister Nasir Shah, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and other senior officials. The chief minister expressed dissatisfaction on the condition of distribution network of the water utility and directed the water board to conduct a comprehensive survey of all old lines and develop a five-year plan for their repair/replacement. “The water utility needs to stren-gthen its system,” he declared. The rupture in the 84-inch main siphon at the university had wreaked havoc on the campus and adjoining housing societies, flooding a vast area. The water utility chief had said that the pipelines’ design life had come to an end since it was laid in 1956. Asks stakeholders to remove bottlenecks in K-IV completion Reviewing the progress on the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV Augme-ntation Works, KWSSIP-II), the chief minister urged all relevant agencies to remove administrative bottlenecks immediately. He directed the LG department to expedite the tendering process and secure all necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to ensure that physical work on the Rs71.8 billion K-IV Augmentation Project begins within the next three months. The K-IV Augmentation Project is being implemented by the LG department with financial support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the World Bank and the Sindh government. The project comprises multiple packages, including Package A: Water transmission main from Reservoir 1 to Y-Junction. Package B1: Transmission from Reservoir R2 to Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST). Package B2: From FUUAST to Gul Bai, and Package C: From R3 to Banaras, and a 2.7 km common corridor shared with the Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system. The project’s design was finalised and reviewed by an international Austrian firm, in line with Planning Commission directives. Bid documents were prepared and are being updated by the supervision consultant. The process for hiring a Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) has already begun. The Technical and Financial Proposals’ Technical Evaluation Report (TER) was approved by the World Bank. To facilitate the project, 18 different agencies were approached for NOCS. So far, NOCs have been secured from seven agencies. The chief minister reiterated his commitment to accelerating the delivery of the K-IV Augmentation Project to ensure equitable access to clean drinking water for Karachi’s growing population. Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2025