HYDERABAD: Lining work on the Kalri Baghar (KB) Feeder, a perennial canal off the Kotri Barrage, has resumed following its temporary closure as part of the annual maintenance schedule, officials said on Tuesday. The project aims to conserve water and enhance drinking water supply to Karachi.
The KB Feeder lining project is a joint initiative of the federal and Sindh governments, being executed on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis. Its objective is to line the entire canal to minimise seepage losses and ensure additional water reaches Keenjhar Lake, Karachi’s primary source of drinking water.
Work on the project began last year, with several sections lined during the previous canal closure. As the KB Feeder is a perennial canal, construction activities are restricted to a limited window each year. Under the approved plan, the project is scheduled to be completed within three years. During the closure period, water has also been collected at two points along the canal to supply nearby universities.
The Kotri Barrage undergoes routine closure every year from December 25 to January 10 for inspection, repair, and maintenance. This year, the KB Feeder was closed five days earlier than other off-taking canals and will reopen five days later to allow additional time for lining work. Barrage authorities said it typically takes around 18 hours to deplete the pond and regulate downstream flows before maintenance begins.
The lining project has been divided into three packages covering more than 189 reduced distances (RDs), with each RD measuring approximately 1,000 feet. Officials said around 25 to 30 per cent of the work was completed between December 2024 and January 2025.
The Sindh government has appointed retired Chief Engineer of Kotri Barrage, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, as the permanent project director, replacing Ghulam Mohiuddin. The new project director said work was progressing smoothly according to schedule.
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Once completed, the lining is expected to save 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. Currently, the KB Feeder receives about 9,000 cusecs of water, of which approximately 1,200 cusecs are supplied to Karachi. The city’s total requirement is estimated at 2,400 cusecs.
The project is aimed at lining the entire canal to conserve water and provide Karachi with an additional supply. https://t.co/8MapphHpiA
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) December 31, 2025
With the water conserved through the lining project, Karachi’s supply is expected to rise to about 1,700 cusecs in the first phase. Additional proposed lining of two more canals from the Kotri Barrage could save another 700 cusecs, helping meet the full demand.
The cost of the KB Feeder lining project has increased to around Rs50 billion from the original estimate of Rs39.94bn, following approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in July 2023 due to revised rates for contractual work.
