KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring clean, safe and uninterrupted drinking water supply to the people of Sukkur.
‘A city situated along the mighty River Indus cannot be left thirsty,’ he remarked while presiding over a high-level meeting at CM House here on Sunday to review the Sukkur Water Supply Project and its proposed publicprivate partnership structure.
The chief minister said that providing safe drinking water was a fundamental responsibility of the government and that no effort would be spared to address the longstanding water challenges faced by the people of Sukkur.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Investment Syed Qasim Naveed, Sukkur Mayor ArsalanShaikh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Agha Wasif, Planning and Development Board Chairman Najam Shah, secretaries of the local government and transport departments and CEO of the Sukkur Water and Sewerage Corporation ((SWSC)) Jatin Kumar, besides other relevant officials.
The chief minister noted that Sukkur’s population had grown by approximately 68pc between 1998 and 2023, making it essential to develop a modern water supply system capable of meeting the city’s present and future needs. He directed the departments concerned to plan the project in line with population growth, urban expansion and increasing water demand, ensuring that every household had access to safe drinking water.
Sister-city vision Sharing his broader vision for Sukkur’s development, the chief minister said the city is being considered to be declared the ‘sistercity of China’s Yichang’, situated along the Yangtze River. He said the proposed relationship would provide an opportunity to learn from Yichang’s development experience and help shape Sukkur into a modern, well-planned urban centre.
‘Sukkur has a unique identitybecause of its location along the River Indus. As we move towards a sister-city relationship with a Chinese city, Yichang on the Yangtze River, we must develop Sukkur in a way that reflects its own character and potential. The improvement of Sukkur Barrage, together with the city’s development, can create a remarkable combination of modern urban facilities and the natural beauty and rural character of the surrounding landscape,’ Mr Shah said.
He directed the LG department, PPP Unit and SWSC to move forward with a practical and sustainable project structure, ensuring that public interest, consumer protection and quality service delivery remained the foremost considerations.
The meeting was informed that the project envisaged a water treatment capacity of 40 to 50 million gallons per day. The chief minister directed the authorities concernedto ensure thatthe proposed capacity and investment were backed by a realistic demand assessment, sound technical planning and operational readiness.
The project envisages improvements to existing water treatment infrastructure, including facilities at Bukkur Island, Bunder Road, Numaish Gah andAirport Road, alongside improvements in pumping and water distribution arrangements.
CM Shah stressed that the project must be designed around Sukkur’s actual water requirements, with a phased expansion strategy capable of responding to rising demand while maintaining operational efficiency and financial viability.
Distribution network to be expanded The meeting was informed that the existing distribution network currently served an estimated 60-70pc of demand, while an ongoing ADP scheme worth Rs2.14 billion was expected to increase the coverage to80-90pc.
The chief minister directed the LG department, Sukkur Mayor and SWSC head to ensure that improvements in treatment capacity and the distribution network moved forward together. He observed that increasing water availability alone would not resolve the problem unless treated water reached households across all parts of the city.
He also directed the officials concerned to resolve outstanding matters, maintain strict implementation timelines and ensure transparency, accountability and quality at every stage of the project.