KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday that Sindh was facing severe water scarcity and steps to be taken to develop efficient use of water for both domestic and irrigation purposes to ensure sustainable water management in the province, a statement said.
This was stated by CM Sindh during a meeting with a World Bank high-power delegation led by Water Global Director Saroj Kumar Jha and World Bank Country Director Mr Najy Binhassine. They discussed reforms in Karachi Water Board and the improvement of the Irrigation system in Sindh.
Murad Ali Shah highlighted that Pakistan was facing a severe shortage of water, and the situation was even worse in Sindh. Therefore, it was crucial to promote efficient use of water for both domestic and irrigation purposes to ensure sustainable water management.
World Bank Team, Murad Ali Shah Discuss Steps to Improve Flood-hit Irrigation System in Sindh
According to the World Bank Water Global Director, the Karachi Water board needs to operate like a commercial organization. He emphasized that water was more crucial than electricity. However, people tend to overlook its importance because its rates are lower than electricity, and they don’t take the payment of its bill seriously.
The chief minister further said that the water board was working on the installation of meters to gauge the usage of water. “The water board is closely working with the World Bank experts to make it more efficient in its structure and vibrant in its service delivery,” he said.
They also discussed matters to improve the irrigation system of the province, which had suffered due to floods in 2010, 2011 and 2022. He said that the provincial government was working with the World Bank for the improvement of the irrigation system. The chief minister and the World Bank delegation have agreed to collaborate on improving the efficiency of the water board and irrigation system.
