Karachi and its residents have long been deprived of several basic amenities including poor infrastructure, regular electricity and gas outages, and severe water shortages in most localities. A few people hold control of illegal hydrants, which allows them to manipulate the supply of water, create artificial shortages, and sell water tankers at exorbitant rates.
In some areas, the situation is extremely dire with little to no availability of water supply because of which people are compelled to purchase tankers to fulfil their daily needs. Resultantly, the tanker mafia has continued to charge high rates for low quantities of water amid rising inflation. It worries me to think that Karachiites will be faced with this unending exploitation as authorities have paid little attention to dismantling the tanker mafia and regulating the water supply.
According to some reports, the Hub Dam and adjacent reservoirs have been filled with excess water after the recent rain spell. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) claimed that this will help improve the water supply across Karachi. One can hope that this will bring some relief to the people of Karachi. However, other issues such as poor public transport, hours-long load shedding, and crumbling roads will continue to haunt Karachiites. Given that both federal and provincial governments have remained oblivious to the issues of Karachi, the people must now take it upon themselves to urge their elected representatives, municipal administrators, and others to act. Also, people must protest against the mafias and their exploitative practices as this will raise awareness and mount pressure on the authorities.
Syed Sadaqat Hussain
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2022.
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