'Karachi receives just 3% of water available to Sindh'

PTI leaders criticises PPP for delays in K-IV project, says work suspended since 2018

KARACHI: Karachi receives just three per cent of water available in Sindh and water scarcity continues to be a major problem in the city, said opposition leader in Sindh Assembly on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference with other PTI leaders, he alleged that the Sindh government had not been adapting well to the growing population of the metropolis, adding that, "the city faces a shortage of 350m gallons of water." Naqvi claimed that water scarcity in the city would increase further as its population was expected to increase two-fold over the next ten years. He alleged that initially Rs29.6 million was reserved for K-IV Water Project, the amount was inflated later so that the "on the pretext of increase in the value of the land for the project which was bought from people favoured by the Pakistan Peoples Party."

Naqvi further said that the work on the project was on a halt since 2018 and the provincial government had not made any efforts to resume work on the project.

Stating that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not want the city to face unrest due to water shortage, he appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and resolve this issue. "No further progress would be made in the K-IV Water Project if the Sindh government would continue to manage it," he claimed.

Also speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Hunaid Lakhani censured the PPP- led Sindh government, accusing it of "providing patronage to tanker mafia" in the province.

"Under PPP's patronage, it [the tanker mafia] is making more money than even the drug mafia," he alleged.

The PTI leader claimed that the tanker mafia in the province was adulterating sweet water with saline water, adding that people, with few other alternatives at their disposal, were forced to pay Rs6,000 for a water tanker.

Lakhani also repudiated reports of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board running in loss, saying that no new water lines were laid in Karachi for the past 12 years.

On a different note, he observed that street crime in the city was on the rise due to increasing unemployment, and pointed out that growing joblessness was also giving rise to mental illnesses.

Furthermore, he accused Sindh Police of "providing shelter to robbers and dacoits."

Lambasting the PPP for doing little to develop the health, education and water and sanitation sector in Sindh, he said that Karachiites would now have to take it upon themselves to resolve their issues.