CEO of the Karachi Water Corporation, Engineer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed, stressed the urgent need for a $4 billion investment to upgrade the city’s water and sewage infrastructure.
During a visit by a high-level Austrian delegation to the Water Corporation’s head office, Ahmed discussed the pressing challenges and recent reforms in the water sector.
The delegation included Austrian Trade Commissioner for Pakistan Johannes Brenner and CEO of Hydrophil, Gerald Eder, alongside local representatives from the Vienna-based firm.
Ahmed highlighted the corporation’s ongoing initiatives to modernize water supply and sewage management systems under its new administration.
He stressed that robust foreign investments and advanced technical solutions are critical to resolving Karachi’s long-standing water issues.
Senior officials of the Water Corporation, including COO Engineer Asadullah Khan, Syed Imran Iqbal Zaidi, and Muhammad Saqib, also participated in the discussions.
The Austrian delegation expressed interest in exploring collaborative opportunities in water management projects, aligning with Hydrophil’s expertise in sustainable water solutions.
A day earlier, the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has called on the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to allocate an additional 50 million gallons per day (mgd) of water from Hub Dam to address Karachi’s growing water needs.
During a meeting with Wapda Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Sajjad Ghani at the CM House, Shah emphasized the urgency of improving the city’s water supply.
Ghani suggested the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) submit a formal request for the additional water. Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that such a request had already been made.
However, Wapda raised concerns over unpaid dues, stating that KWSC owes Rs1 billion for maintaining the Hub Canal.
Source: Daily Jang
