Fund-starved Karachi faces acute water shortage as leaders dither

ISLAMABAD: The neglect of Karachi, a city that handles 76 percent of Pakistan’s trade, is being seen as a major factor in slowing the growth rate of Pakistan’s economy to a crawl of less than 3 percent. According to an article in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, without addressing Karachi’s acute water shortage and other infrastructure issues, Pakistan cannot achieve its growth targets. The article authored by Mohammad Younus Dagha, a former Federal Secretary, states that Karachi has been deprived of its rightful share of more than Rs 3 trillion since 2010. Had that amount been spent on Karachi, the country would not have reached this chaotic situation.

“With Karachi’s consistent neglect, Pakistan has been suffering from a low average growth syndrome since 2010. The Prime Minister’s Economic Transformation Agenda and Implementation Plan (2024-29) sets a growth target of six percent. In the first year of the plan, we achieved only 2.7 percent. Pakistan will continue to remain in a low-growth quagmire unless it improves the infrastructure of its growth engine, Karachi, which contributes 50 percent of the country’s exports and handles 76 percent of its trade,” the article states.

The article highlights that, apart from poor infrastructure, Karachi is facing an acute shortage of water.

Karachi needs 1,200-1,300 MGD (million gallons per day) of water. However, it gets roughly 550 MGD from Keenjhar Lake and 100 MGD from Hub Dam. The fact that most of this water reaches consumers through water tankers is another issue. The shortage is estimated to be 650 MGD or roughly 50 percent of Karachi’s needs. (IANS)

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