JI announces protests against water shortage
A private water tanker supplies water to residents of Akhtar Colony, where acute water shortage is being witnessed. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Monday announced a series of sit-ins and protests across the city against water shortage.
“Our movement, Give Rights to Karachi (Haq Do Karachi Ko) continues,” said JI Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, addressing a press conference held at Idara Noore Haq, the party’s city headquarters, on Monday.
There will be sit-ins at more than 100 places across the city on Friday, September 3 to protest against shortage and unfair distribution of water and rights of citizens. He further said that on Wednesday, September 8, “we will surround the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) head office.”
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Many areas of the city do not have running water, even in posh localities like Defence Housing Authority (DHA), where people actually pay water tax, the authorities have failed to provide it to the citizens, he said.
He added that RO plants should be made mandatory for multi-storey buildings and good technology for desalination of seawater should be introduced.
JI Karachi deputy amirs Dr Osama Razi, Raja Arif Sultan, Muslim Pervez, General Secretary Muneem Zafar Khan, Information Secretary Zahid Askari and Salman Sheikh were also present on the occasion.
He mentioned that Karachi needs 1,450 million gallons of water per day. The federal and provincial governments are now planning to supply 260 million gallons to K4, in a 650 million gallon water supply project.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2021.