Karachi’s K-4 water project delayed again amid budget shortfall

Karachi, a city of over 22 million people, continues to suffer from a major water crisis—getting only half of the 1,200 million gallons it needs each day. The Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme (K-4), launched to fix this shortage, has been delayed yet again.

In the 2025–2026 federal budget, only PKR 3.2 billion has been allocated to the project, even though it needs PKR 75 billion to complete. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah says that with such limited funding, the K-IV could take another 30 years. Experts believe it may still be at least 10 years before Karachi sees any real benefit.

In this report, Nukta’s special correspondent Akhtiar Khokhar looks into why the project has been stuck for so long, where things currently stand, and when the city can expect relief.