Syed Murad Ali Shah, the Chief Minister of Sindh, made the decision to build two new seawater desalination facilities in Karachi, each with a capacity of 5 MGD (million gallons per day). Additionally, he wants to revive the abandoned saltwater desalination facility at KANUPP.
On July 31, 2022, CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah met at the CM House in Karachi with provincial ministers, advisers, secretaries, and other important officials. The main objective of the meeting was to reviewing the status of significant ongoing projects in the metropolis.
Keeping in view the water requirements of #Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister @MuradAliShahPPP approves to install 2 new #SeawaterDesalination plants, each one of 5 MGD, in the metropolis, including acquiring a seawater desalination plant abandoned at KANUPP.https://t.co/ejdlQeJkTP
— Sikandar Ali Hullio (@HullioSikandar) July 31, 2022
Three locations—Ibrahim Hyderi, Ayesha Masjid DHA-VII, and Seaview at Village Restaurant—were suggested for the installation of desalination plants.
Ibrahim Hyderi at Korangio Creek, 1.5 kilometres from Dhari Island, was approved by the CM. A backup pumping facility is located at Coast Guard Chowrangi where the intake from this location would feed water to the Ghazi Pumping Station in the event of a failure or other emergency situations at Ghazi Pumping Station.
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The local administration was instructed by the chief minister to build a second 5 MGD desalination plant next to Lyari so that water could be delivered to Lyari from there.
Additionally, he gave the local government minister instructions to contact a private company that had set up a 1.2 MGD desalination facility to supply water to KANUPP. That plant was abandoned since the KANUPP built its own facility, which could be used to supply water to the city.
“This will help to provide drinking water to the people living in old areas of the city to the DHA,” said Shah.
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The roughly 20 million residents of Karachi continue to experience acute water shortages, particularly in district West. A deficient distribution and supply system has the worst impact on working-class populations.