"A massive revamping of KWSB is need of the hour as there are immense managerial problems in its hierarchy," he told the newsmen at a press conference at KWSB head office on Monday.
Elaborating on his priorities in next four years, Mustafa listed the improvement in water and sewerage system of the city as the most vital part of his plan to improve the civic conditions.
He said: "The total water requirement of the city comes around 648 MGD while it is receiving around 540 MGD. The shortfall of around 100-MGD would be met when the city would be getting additional 100 MGD water after the completion of K-III in June 2006."
However, he pointed out that completion of K-III would not resolve the problems as obsolete and old water distribution network would not be able to withstand this additional supply of the water from the Indus River source. Estimates suggest that around 60 percent of the additional water of K-III would go waste due to faulty distribution system.
"There was lack of planning as when the K-III was initiated, the work on strengthening of system should have also been started," he added. "We had detailed deliberations on system improvement," the City Nazim said and added it has been planned that water system would be enhanced in next two years. "I had directed MD KWSB, DCO Karachi and other concerned officials to pump all available resources into this plan to stop wastage of water," he said.
He emphasised the need for improvement in the system 'as even billions of rupees development fund would be of no use if the present system goes on as it is'.
TKP: Referring to Tameer-e-Karachi Programme (TKP), he said that Rs 13 billion were kept for water and sewerage sector, but unfortunately, nothing was done to bring improvement in it.
He revealed that the federal government has promised to give Rs 2 billion for water system strengthening project in Karachi in December of this year and a comprehensive plan has been chalked out for this project. To a question about the handing over of control of hydrants from Rangers to KWSB, Mustafa Kamal said, 'already efficiency of the department is questionable and it would not be appropriate to burden it with additional responsibilities.'
He ruled out any cut in development budget for Karachi by the federal government in view of diversion of resources to the earthquake-affected areas of the country.