The preliminary works of Hub Dam, built across the River Hub, were commenced in September, 1963 and completed in June, 1981. The project was meant to construct a storage reservoir for regulating the flows of Hub River for the purpose of municipal, industrial water supply and irrigation releases to Karachi in Sindh and Lasbela District in Balochistan. The Hub Dam is an inter-provincial project as the beneficiaries are located in the two provinces, Sindh and Balochistan. Normally, the impounding of reservoir takes place during monsoon season. The project is designed to supply 100 MGD (Million gallon per day) of water to Karachi (Sindh) for municipal and industrial purposes, and 15 MGD to the Balochistan industries besides irrigation of 21,000 Acres (CCA),i.e. 44 MGD, in Balochistan and 1000 acres i.e. 2 MGD in Sindh. Thus, the reservoir-release of 216,406 AF is shared by Sindh 63.3% and by Balochistan 36.7%. This supply is ensured for a period of 75 years.
Canal System
The Hub Dam Canal System consists of Main Canal, Karachi Water Supply Canal, Lasbela Canal, and a Bund Murad Minor. The Main Canal, having design discharge capacity of 370 cfs, off-takes from Hub Dam and bifurcates into two branches after flowing about 5.2 Miles (8.32 Km) at Head Regulator. At Head Regulator, the water supplies to Sindh and Balochistan are controlled by manually operated vertical gates. Whereas, supply to Bund Murad Minor is controlled through Lasbela Canal about one Km from Head Regulator.
At Head Regulator one branch is known as Karachi Water Supply Canal with Design Discharge Capacity of 210 cfs. This is a very sensitive canal as it supplies 20% to 25 % of the Municipal and Industrial waters to Karachi. The second branch is called Lasbela Canal (21 Miles or 33.6 Km long) with a design discharge capacity of 160 cfs supplies water for irrigation of 21,000 Acres of land and 15 MGD water for industries in Lasbela District, Balochistan. Hence a total of 59 MGD water is supplied for Municipal, Industrial, and Irrigation purposes to Lasbela District as per their allocation. The Bund Murad Minor (handed over to Government of Sindh on 01.01.86) also off-takes from Lasbela Canal to supply irrigation water on replacement basis, to 1000 Acres of those agricultural farms which were under existence prior to the construction of Hub Dam Project.