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KARACHI, Aug 13 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday addressed the inauguration ceremony of the New Hub Canal, declaring it a major gift for Karachi on Independence Day.
The new canal, he said, would bring an additional 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to the city, doubling the capacity previously carried by the old canal.
CM Shah explained that the old canal could not transport even 60 MGD effectively, but the new infrastructure would overcome that limitation. “We built this canal within the fixed time and budget, without any cost escalation,” he stated. “This is a gift to Karachiites ahead of Independence Day.”
The Chief Minister announced that the restoration of the old canal would be completed by December, further boosting the city’s water capacity to 140 MGD. He added that the provincial government was negotiating with the federal government to increase Sindh and Balochistan’s water quota, citing improved water availability due to climate change.
Highlighting other projects, Shah said a 35 MGD water treatment plant would be completed in September to supply industries, freeing up potable water for domestic use. Once the augmentation phase of K-IV is completed through arrangements with the World Bank, Karachi will receive 550 MGD of water, significantly easing shortages.
Criticising the federal government’s past commitments, Murad Shah recalled that previous prime ministers had made multi-billion-rupee announcements for Karachi but never released the promised funds. “It is only the Pakistan Peoples Party that has planned and completed projects for Karachi,” he stressed, crediting PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s strategy for compelling the federal government to cooperate.
The New Hub Canal spans 21.8 kilometres and includes 11 aqueducts, 19 culverts, and four bridges, with a total capacity of 130 MGD. Phase II of the project involves restoring the old canal, with 21.8 km of its section already closed for accelerated work. The Manghopir pumping station’s 150 MGD capacity is also being restored, alongside the refurbishment of the filtration plant.
Shah reaffirmed that by December, Karachi’s federal water quota would be raised to 200 MGD. “We inaugurated the project on August 13 as promised,” he said, adding that the main beneficiaries would be West Wharf, Keamari, and Central Karachi.