The long-delayed K-IV water supply project for Karachi requires another Rs70 billion to reach completion, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources was informed during a meeting on Wednesday. The committee reviewed progress on the project alongside discussions on a proposed security force for the Water and Power Development Authority’s major projects and installations.
The meeting focused on concerns surrounding Karachi’s water availability, delays in completing the K-IV project and security arrangements for major Water and Power Development Authority facilities. The committee also considered the Water and Power Development Authority Security Force Bill, which seeks to establish a dedicated force for protecting strategic projects and installations under the authority.
The committee took up a calling attention notice moved by MNA Aminul Haque concerning delays in the K-IV project. During the briefing, the Water and Power Development Authority chairman told lawmakers that the project had previously faced delays because of a shortage of funds. He confirmed that the Sindh government had now paid its share of Rs7.70 billion toward the project.
Minister for Water Resources Moeen Wattoo informed the committee that Rs86 billion had already been spent on the K-IV project. However, an additional Rs70 billion will be required to complete the remaining work. According to the minister, approximately 40 percent of the project has been completed so far.
The K-IV project is intended to strengthen Karachi’s water supply infrastructure, with the prolonged delays continuing to attract attention from lawmakers and government officials. During the committee meeting, MNA Syed Waseem Hussain raised concerns over the continued activity of the tanker mafia in Karachi, stating that residents were being forced to purchase water tankers for prices reaching as much as Rs8,000.
The minister also clarified that water distribution falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial government. The discussion therefore highlighted both the infrastructure requirements associated with the K-IV project and the broader challenges surrounding water distribution in Karachi.
Alongside the K-IV project, the committee reviewed the proposed Water and Power Development Authority Security Force Bill. The legislation is aimed at establishing a dedicated security force responsible for protecting Water and Power Development Authority Houses, hydropower projects and other important installations.
The Water and Power Development Authority chairman told the committee that ordinary security guards were not sufficient to provide the level of protection required at major projects and strategic installations. He said several Water and Power Development Authority projects required specialised security arrangements and that the authority wanted to establish its own force because the existing security system had become too expensive.
Under the proposal, members of the new force would be recruited on a contract basis and would not receive pension benefits. The proposed personnel would undergo formal training and operate in a prescribed uniform as part of a structured security arrangement for Water and Power Development Authority facilities.
The proposed force would also have powers to arrest individuals within Water and Power Development Authority projects and installations. However, officials said that anyone arrested by the force would subsequently be handed over to the local or district police. The police would then be responsible for investigation and further legal proceedings.
Officials told the committee that the existing watchman system had become outdated and was no longer considered practical for protecting the authority’s major facilities. They also pointed to the frequent visits of international delegations to Water and Power Development Authority projects, saying that such activity made strong security standards increasingly important.
The proposed security force would be headed by a director general. The federal government would have the authority to establish the force and formulate the rules governing its operations. Officials said the director general could be a retired Grade-20 officer from either the police or armed forces.
The proposed arrangement is intended to give the Water and Power Development Authority greater control over security at its projects while creating a specialised workforce trained to deal with the requirements of strategic infrastructure. The authority has argued that the existing arrangements are insufficient for the scale and importance of its installations.
The committee’s review therefore covered two major infrastructure concerns: the additional financing required to complete Karachi’s K-IV water supply project and the proposed restructuring of security arrangements for Water and Power Development Authority projects. With Rs86 billion already spent on K-IV and another Rs70 billion required, the project remains dependent on further funding to complete the remaining work.
The discussions also underscored the wider infrastructure challenges facing Karachi, where water shortages and dependence on tanker supplies remain concerns for residents. Meanwhile, the proposed Water and Power Development Authority Security Force Bill is being considered as a mechanism for strengthening protection around critical water and power infrastructure across the country.
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