Karachi – September 2025: An audit report has sounded the alarm over Karachi’s looming water crisis, warning that the city could face acute shortages this year and in 2026 due to persistent delays in the Greater Bulk Water Supply Scheme, commonly known as the K-4 project.
According to the Auditor General’s findings, Phase One of the project was supposed to deliver 260 million gallons of water per day from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi. However, progress has been described as “alarmingly slow.” Out of eight major components in Phase One, only 45 percent of the work has been completed to date.
The report highlights that construction of three filtration plants has advanced by just 25 percent, while more than half of the work has been completed on two sections of the main pipeline. In contrast, only 26 percent progress has been achieved on the pumping station, a critical part of the scheme.
Adding to the controversy, the Auditor General noted that despite the delays, project officials purchased four new vehicles worth over Rs. 60 million for the project director. The administration defended the purchases, claiming they were necessary for transporting foreign experts. However, the audit dismissed the justification as “insufficient.”
Contracts for all eight components of Phase One were awarded between May and September 2022, with completion deadlines set for February 2024. Despite this, the report concluded, the administration failed to achieve full physical progress, leaving Karachi vulnerable to a worsening water crisis.
Observers warn that if the delays persist, the city already struggling with chronic shortages may experience unprecedented water stress in the coming two years.
