KWSB given two weeks to end water crisis

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court (SC) gave two weeks to the local government secretary and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) authorities to formulate a policy to end the water crisis persisting in the metropolis.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, issued these directives while hearing a human rights application against illegal operation of the water hydrants that cause water shortage in Karachi.



The judges expressed their annoyance upon being informed that the Karachi commissioner and former KWSB managing director (MD) had given permission for supplying water to the industries through water tankers from the hydrants.

They questioned that under what authority the Karachi commissioner had given such permission and in what manner the same had been done.

The apex court ordered the water board's chief and others concerned to formulate a policy regarding provision of adequate drinking water to the residents of Karachi within two weeks.



The bench members observed that the transfers and postings of the officers in the water board in violation of the service rules and judgment of the SC were creating hurdles in its functioning. They cautioned that in case any officer, who was working in his own pay scale (OPS), was found working in the water utility or was given additional change of any post, the KWSB MD will be held responsible and would be proceeded against according to the law.

Illegal water hydrants

The secretary of the local government department, Atta Soomro, informed the bench that the bills, which the water tankers owners were claiming for supplying water to the shelter camps for the flood-affected families in 2010, were all bogus.



He alleged that in order to recover these bogus dues, they had obtained orders from the high court to operate unauthorised water hydrants. The apex court ordered that all such bogus and suspicious claims should be cancelled.

The bench was informed that the illegal sub-soil water hydrants were being operated on Nishtar Road. The bench directed the KWSB and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) authorities to demolish these illegal sub-soil water hydrants on Nishtar Road.

It also ordered the KWSB managing director to cancel the licences issued to run these water hydrants in an illegal manner. The bench also directed the police and Rangers authorities to provide assistance to the water board and KMC staff during their operation against these hydrants at Nishtar Road.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2015.