Sindh Province

Karachi : ReNews Pakistan
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is set to open the Munawar Chowrangi Underpass for public traffic tomorrow (Sunday), marking a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to improve urban mobility and reduce chronic traffic congestion. Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced that the primary construction work has been completed and the underpass is ready to begin operations.
In a statement, the mayor said that while the underpass will be fully functional for motorists from Sunday, finishing work will continue over the coming weeks. Beautification activities, including decorative tiling of the side walls, will be carried out without disrupting traffic flow. Construction of the remaining slip roads and service lanes is also scheduled to commence after the underpass becomes operational.
The Munawar Chowrangi Underpass forms part of a Rs. 2.02 billion infrastructure project launched in 2023 to address severe traffic bottlenecks at one of Karachi’s busiest road junctions. The project is expected to improve traffic movement, reduce travel times, and provide smoother connectivity for thousands of daily commuters travelling through the area.
The opening comes after sustained pressure from the Sindh government to expedite delayed infrastructure schemes. In February this year, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Karachi mayor to complete both the Munawar Chowrangi and Karimabad underpasses within one month and make them operational for the public. The directive followed a review meeting in which the chief minister expressed concern over the slow pace of work on key urban development projects.
The Karimabad Underpass, another major traffic improvement initiative launched in May 2023, was originally scheduled for completion within 10 months and was expected to open in October 2024. However, technical and engineering challenges resulted in repeated delays, causing prolonged inconvenience to commuters, transport operators and businesses located along the affected routes.
City authorities believe the completion of the Munawar Chowrangi Underpass will provide immediate relief to motorists by improving traffic circulation in the area. Officials also expect the remaining works, including service lanes and associated road infrastructure, to further enhance accessibility and strengthen Karachi’s transport network once fully completed.

Karachi : ReNews Pakistan
The Sindh Cabinet has approved a revised budget of Rs 14.237 billion for the construction of a dedicated water supply pipeline that will deliver water from Dumlottee, on the outskirts of Karachi, to the Defence Housing Authority (DHA). The decision reflects a nearly 40 percent increase over the project's original estimated cost of Rs10.56 billion, which was approved in July 2025 to address the long standing water shortage affecting DHA residents.
The project is intended to provide a reliable and sustainable water supply to one of Karachi’s largest residential communities, where many households have depended heavily on private water tankers due to inadequate municipal water availability.
According to the Sindh government, the revised Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) cost has increased following significant changes to the project's technical design and scope. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) has been entrusted with executing the pipeline project.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the revised estimate incorporates engineering modifications, upgraded pipeline materials, inflationary pressures, higher taxation, and the inclusion of additional infrastructure such as modern filtration facilities, a real time monitoring system, and other operational improvements designed to enhance the project's long term efficiency and reliability.
In addition to approving the revised construction cost, the cabinet authorised the appointment of a project consultant in accordance with the applicable public procurement laws to oversee implementation and ensure compliance with technical and regulatory standards.
The cabinet also approved an increase in the bulk water tariff from Rs 0.60 per gallon to Rs 0.70 per gallon as part of the project's updated financial framework. Officials said the revised tariff structure is intended to support the project's operational sustainability while maintaining long term financial viability.
Despite the higher upfront investment, the updated financial model indicates that the dedicated water supply system is expected to generate net savings of approximately Rs 2.31 billion over the next 10 years by reducing dependence on costly water tanker services, improving distribution efficiency, and lowering operational losses.
The project forms part of Sindh's broader efforts to strengthen Karachi's urban water infrastructure and improve access to dependable water supplies for rapidly growing residential areas through modern engineering solutions and long term investment in essential public utilities.

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
Electricity consumption by industries supplied by K-Electric reached a record 6.08 billion units during the financial year 2025–26, marking the highest annual industrial power usage in the company’s history.
According to the latest data released by K-Electric, the industrial sector consumed 5.04 billion units of electricity in FY2024–25. This represents an annual increase of approximately 20 percent.
The previous record for industrial electricity consumption was set in FY2021–22, when usage stood at 5.84 billion units. The latest figures show that this record was surpassed during FY2025–26.
Industries falling under the B3 consumer category recorded the highest electricity consumption. This category includes industrial consumers with power requirements ranging from 501 to 5,000 kilowatts, including steel, cement, textile and other energy-intensive manufacturing units.
On a monthly basis, industrial electricity consumption peaked in June 2026, followed by April 2026. However, the figure of 6.08 billion units represents total consumption for the entire financial year rather than usage in a single month.
K-Electric said 349 new industrial electricity connections were activated during the financial year, while the sanctioned power load of 273 existing industrial consumers was increased. These developments added a combined 168 megawatts to industrial demand on the company’s network.
The company said industrial feeders have been exempt from load-shedding since 2013. A comparatively higher electricity bill recovery rate among industrial consumers has also been cited as a key reason for maintaining uninterrupted power supply to the sector.
The significant increase in industrial electricity consumption is being linked to a recovery in manufacturing activity in Karachi, the addition of new industrial connections, higher power loads at existing factories and a government policy encouraging industries to obtain electricity from the national grid instead of operating their own power generation facilities.