DNA
KARACHI
A Chinese company has shown interest in completing K-IV, Karachi’s fourth bulk water supply canal—a project started eighteen years ago that has cost up to Rs14 billion so far and is nowhere near done.
China Gezhouba Group’s Pakistan executive general manager Shi Yu has written the Sindh government offering help with the K-IV. “[We] noticed that … things are not going smoothly because the design is not feasible,” he wrote. They expressed interest in “participating” by providing design and construction support.
The Chinese company is referring to a development in K-IV that has put considerable pressure on the Sindh government as it tries to complete the project, a 121km canal from Kinjhar lake. When this government took over it had the design of K-IV checked by an independent engineering company. That company produced a damning report that there were serious design flaws.
The Chinese letter was sent to the CM’s secretariat on Dec 25. It was sent by January 17 to the secretary of the local government department for “necessary action”.
This company said it has worked on hydro power, renewable energy, road and petrochemical projects such as the $1.9 billion Suki Kinari Hydropower Project, $3.3 billion hydropower project and $1.9 billion Mohmand dam.
Local Government Secretary Roshan Ali Shah has convened a meeting on January 27 to discuss K-IV and it is likely that the Chinese offer may be taken up.
