KARACHI: The Karachi Municipal Corporation has approached the Provincial Government for free-of-charge allotment of 2,500 acres of cultivable land at Hub Chowki Road for economic utilisation of sewage water discharged by the Treatment Plant at Manghopir Road.

It has also asked for 246 acres of land on Korangi Road for similar utilisation of the treated water of the under-construction treatment plant at Mahmoodabad.

The two plants are designed to intake about 40 million gallons of sewage water per day. The Manghopir Plant is at present working half capacity and about 10 million gallons per day is drained into the sea.

The Corporation intends to pump this water to the barren but cultivable lands and thereby earn rent from the cultivators. Revenues will more than offset the present loss of Rs. 14 lakh per year on the maintenance of Manghopir Plant.

Several miles of mains will have to be laid.

That will cost several lakhs at least, including foreign exchange, even if prestressed pipes are used.

The Corporation had a proposal some time back to use some of this water for its sewage farm. There was also a proposal from the proposed steel mill for the purchase of about 20 million gallons of water per day.

If the steel mill comes up soon and the sewage water is committed to other projects, that much of drinking water already in shortage will have to be spared by the Karachi Development Authority for the f actory. Correspondent