Lining work on the Kalri Baghar (KB) Feeder, a perennial canal off the Kotri Barrage, has resumed following its temporary closure for annual maintenance, officials said on Tuesday. The project aims to conserve water and increase drinking water supply to Karachi.
The KB Feeder lining project is being jointly financed by the federal and Sindh governments on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis. Its objective is to line the entire canal to reduce seepage losses and channel the conserved water to Keenjhar Lake, Karachi’s primary source of drinking water.
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Work on the canal began last year during the same maintenance window, when selected sections were lined. As the KB Feeder operates throughout the year, construction activities can only be carried out during limited closure periods. According to the approved plan, the project is scheduled to be completed within three years.
The Kotri Barrage undergoes annual closure from December 25 to January 10 for repairs and inspection. This year, the KB Feeder was closed five days earlier than other canals and will reopen five days later to facilitate additional lining and maintenance work.
Officials said the project has been divided into three packages covering more than 189 reduced distances (RDs), with each RD measuring around 1,000 feet. Around 25 to 30 per cent of the lining work was completed between December 2024 and January 2025.
The Sindh government has appointed retired chief engineer Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur as the permanent project director. He said work was progressing smoothly and in line with the revised schedule.
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Once completed, the lining is expected to conserve around 500 to 550 cusecs of water, which will flow into Keenjhar Lake for onward supply to Karachi through the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. The KB Feeder currently receives about 9,000 cusecs, including 1,200 cusecs supplied to Karachi.
With the conserved water, Karachi’s supply is expected to rise to around 1,700 cusecs in the first phase. Further lining of additional canals and completion of the K-IV project are expected to help meet the city’s total requirement of 2,400 cusecs.