Supreme Court orders: KWSB shuts down 12 legal hydrants

Water board to issue fresh tenders of hydrants to ensure transparency

KARACHI: Acting upon the Supreme Court's (SC) order to close down all the water hydrants, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) shut 12 out of the 24 of its legal hydrants in the city.

The SC ordered the relevant authorities on September 8 to ensure all water hydrants legally operated by the KWSB are immediately shut down and their fresh tenders are issued within five weeks. Previously, the apex court had also ordered strict action against illegal hydrants in the city.



We have decided to decrease the number of hydrants run by the KWSB to six, which means one hydrant for each district of the city, said the water board's spokesperson, Rizwan Hyder. He said that the step has been taken in compliance with the orders of the SC and the organisation will also issue fresh tenders of these six hydrants to ensure transparency.

Talking about legal hydrants, Hyder explained that they were supposed to provide water to the areas where there is no supply of water through line.

Demolishing illegal hydrants

On Friday, as many as 11 illegal hydrants were demolished in Damloti area, Malir, and Chakra Goth, Korangi, he said, adding that Malir district and sessions judge Khalid Shahani and the managing director of KWSB, Misbahuddin Farid, were also present on the occasion.

Hyder added that cases have also been registered against seven owners of illegal hydrants, while heavy machinery and three generators were also seized along with 100-foot-long pipes.



During the last one-and-half years, more than 300 hydrants have been taken down, he claimed. We have requested the local police to keep an eye on the demolished hydrants and discourage any action being taken to set them up again, he added.

The government rate for a 1,000-gallon water tanker is Rs1,000 while a 2,000-gallon tanker costs Rs1,300, he informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2016.