The decision was also made to hold review meetings every 15 days to monitor progress and address obstacles.
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed authorities to ensure timely completion of Karachi’s strategic water infrastructure projects, describing the K-IV water supply plan as “extremely important” for the city’s future water security in a meeting with a World Bank (WB) official.
The comments came during a meeting with WB National Director Bolormaa Amgaabazar in Karachi where officials reviewed progress in water supply, infrastructure development and K-IV augmentation project.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister House, water metering, urban development works in informal settlements and reforms in Karachi Water and Sewage Corporation (KW&SC) were also discussed in the meeting.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held an important meeting with World Bank Country Director Bolorma Amgaabazar to review progress in Karachi water supply, infrastructure projects and K-IV augmentation project. #WB pic.twitter.com/6MeBhTpMbe
– Sindh Chief Minister House (@SindhCMHouse) May 29, 2026
“Effective water management and transparent governance are essential for the growing population of Karachi,” CM Shah said during the meeting. “Our goal is to build a modern and sustainable water supply system in Karachi with the support of the World Bank,” he added.
The prime minister directed local government authorities and the mayor of Karachi to remove all “administrative and technical bottlenecks” affecting the projects.
The decision was also made to hold review meetings every 15 days to monitor progress and address obstacles.
Officials informed meeting members that work on the 2.7-kilometer shared corridor for the K-IV surge project had resumed on April 16. They said installation work on a 72-inch mild steel gas pipeline was underway, while work on a 96-inch gas pipeline would begin after the relocation of a Sui gas pipeline and restoration of the Nipa Bridge.
Officials expressed hope that the corridor project would be completed by August this year.
Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah informed the meeting that a plan for installation of 4,333 water meters for consumers had been finalized and would be shared with the World Bank. “All consumer meters will be installed as planned until June 2027,” he said.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said 150 of the 212 chambers needed for the system’s meters had already been completed.
The meeting also reviewed development work in Essa Nagri and Sobha Nagar.
Wahab said construction of a water storage tank and drain cleaning works were being carried out at Essa Nagri, while water supply connections from the main line would begin after Eid. He added that paving stone work at Sobha Nagar was progressing and was expected to be completed by June 2026.
Additional funding for water treatment plants under the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP-II) as well as recruitment and institutional strengthening within KWSC were also discussed in the meeting.
According to the statement, the issue of appointment of board members of the water company will be raised before the next meeting of the provincial cabinet.
Originally launched in 2016 under the Sindh government and the KWSC, the K-IV project soon became embroiled in controversy over design flaws, mismanagement and rising costs. Initially estimated at Rs 25 billion and scheduled to be completed within two years through equal federal and provincial funds, construction stopped in 2018 after just 20 percent progress.
The project, designed to provide sustainable supply of 650 million gallons per day (MGD) to Karachi in three phases, is being jointly implemented by the federal and Sindh governments. The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is currently implementing Phase I, which aims to supply 260 MGD to the city.
In 2021, the federal government transferred the project to Wapda, which redesigned it before resuming construction in 2022. The plan was initially scheduled to be completed in December 2025.
However, costs have since increased dramatically. After being incorporated into the Karachi Transformation Plan in 2020, a revised PC-1 prepared by WAPDA for Rs 126 billion was approved in January 2022. The current estimate now stands at Rs 171 billion.
“About 65 per cent of the work is complete, but progress has slowed down as the federal government released much less than the required Rs 40 billion for the current fiscal year. Till date, Rs 85 billion has been released for the project,” a Wapda official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The express PAkGazette in December of last year.
In February, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal set December 2026 as the new deadline for completing the K-IV water supply project.
