Islamabad, March 20: Ministry of Water Resources has proposed 33 new projects in the water sector, with a total estimated cost of Rs 424.128 billion, to be included in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2025-26.
Out of these highest allocation goes to Sindh with 257.78 billion, with Sindh raised huge criticism during last few days on certain canal system being driven from water resources.
The ministry has requested an allocation of Rs 42.432 billion for these projects in the upcoming fiscal year.
During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan, Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, provided details of the proposed projects.
Next Year Budget: Project Breakdown:
- WAPDA Projects: Four projects from WAPDA are part of the proposal, with a total cost of Rs 33.0155 billion. WAPDA has requested Rs 1.584 billion for funding in FY 2025-26.
- Balochistan: No projects from Balochistan have been included in the PSDP for 2025-26.
- Sindh: Three projects are proposed for Sindh, costing Rs 257.783 billion in total, with a funding request of Rs 15.805 billion for FY 2025-26.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Nineteen projects are proposed for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, totaling Rs 94.130 billion, with a funding request of Rs 14.242 billion for the next fiscal year.
- Punjab: Seven development projects are related to Punjab, amounting to Rs 39.200 billion, with an allocation of Rs 10.800 billion sought for FY 2025-26.
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Secretary Murtaza explained that none of the proposed projects had been included in the PSDP for 2025-26 because their PC-1s (project approval documents) were still incomplete.
In 2024-25, the allocation for 70 water and hydropower projects was Rs 343.812 billion, with the total cost of these projects standing at Rs 4.488 trillion and a throw-forward amount of Rs 2.795 trillion.
Next Year Budget: Challenges and Delays in K-IV Project:
A significant point of discussion during the meeting was the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme (K-IV), Phase 1, which began in 2022 and is expected to be completed by 2026.
The project has a budget of Rs 126.404 billion. However, the project is anticipated to face further delays due to the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB), under the Government of Sindh, not awarding the tender for the water distribution lines. This delay is expected to take approximately three years.
Several challenges were outlined by the Ministry, including:
- A large funding requirement.
- Release of the Government of Sindh’s cost share (Rs 8.503 billion).
- Provision of power supply from the Sindh Government.
- Synchronization of augmentation work with the K-IV project.
- Clearance of Right of Way (RoW) due to a court case and compensation issues.
- Security for Chinese nationals working on the K-IV project.
Secretary Murtaza assured the committee that the Ministry would arrange the necessary funds for the project, but the delays were due to issues within the provincial government.
Next Year Budget: Cost Increase for K-IV Project
WAPDA Chairman, Lt. General Sajjad Ghani (retired), informed the committee that the project’s cost is now expected to increase by 18%, raising the total from Rs 126.404 billion to Rs 150 billion. He emphasized that the project must be aligned with water distribution work in Karachi, and water pumps will undergo pressure testing before formal commencement.
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Some committee members expressed hope that the K-IV project, which originally had an 11-year completion schedule, would now be completed in 2027.
Next Year Budget: Thal Canal and Sindh’s Concerns
Senator Shahadat Awan, the Chairman of the Committee, requested an update on the Thal Canal project, as the provincial assembly in Sindh had passed a resolution opposing it. Officials revealed that the timely completion of water sector projects depends largely on the availability of funds.
The committee stressed that ongoing projects should be prioritized to benefit end-users before initiating new ones. Secretary Murtaza also briefed the committee on the status of small dams to be built in Sindh.
Monitoring and Auditing of Projects
The committee members raised concerns about the audit and monitoring of ongoing projects. In response, the Ministry of Water Resources assured that it has a dedicated department for frequent monitoring of these projects to ensure progress and accountability.
The meeting concluded with a strong emphasis on accelerating the execution of water sector projects to address the growing water scarcity in Pakistan and improve its overall water management systems.
