Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor has said that out of the box solutions are needed to mitigate the acute shortage of drinking water in Karachi.
He demanded to construct at least 500 small water storage reservoirs to mitigate acute shortage of potable water in the megacity, Karachi.
He said the megacity braves an agonizing shortage of potable water.
Almost half of the megacity caters water needs through water tankers, which is a very costly and highly unhygienic way of water supply.
He said the water storage system of Karachi was designed by colonial British rulers and after creation of Pakistan it has not seen major improvements to meet the needs of fastly bulging population of the megacity.
He said in monsoon season a plenty of rainwater is wasted as there are no rainwater storage facilities besides the concept of rainwater harvesting is alien to us.
He said there are more than two dozen towns in Karachi and ideally each union council of them should have its own water storage and supply system integrated to the KWSB main lines as well as rainwater harvesting
system storages if created. He said the basins of Lyari, Malir, Mole and other small rainwater streams are ideal for constructing hundreds of mini check dams to store rainwater during monsoon.
This would not only cater the needs of the surrounding areas but also help rise water table level of the megacity, which is very low.
In past due to better water table shallow dug-wells would work in suburban areas
but now it need a very deep boring to use underground water.
Altaf Shakoor said that the small hills of North Nazimabad and Orangi are ideal for both water storage and water tanks built above them would help in better supply due to gravity force.
He said in fact the master plan of Karachi envisages a big water reservoir and park over the hills near Katti Pahari, but the Sindh government has no time or interest to think about the megacity, its needs and its development.
