SHC questions tanker operations in Karachi amidst water shortage

Justice Rizvi asks why citizens can't receive water through lines when they can through tankers

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) asked on Monday if Karachi could be supplied water through tankers, why could the citizens not directly receive water through the lines

Hearing a petition regarding the failure to supply drinking water in Karachi’s Clifton, Block 2, two-member bench headed by Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi questioned the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB)'s deputy director regarding the shortage of water within the city.

Justice Rizvi accused the water board of colluding with the ‘tanker mafia’, stating that the owner of a single tanker purchases a fleet within six months, remarking that water was being supplied to owners of tankers instead of directly to consumers.

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Upon questioning, the water board’s engineer indicated that multi-storey buildings had been constructed in the area, creating a supply shortage.

However, the court dismissed the claim, stating that the body neither supplies water nor possesses strategies for providing water yet collects payment from residents.

The high court judge, while expressing anger, questioned why the chief engineer doesn't apply his knowledge to fix the issue, suggesting his degree be verified.

The court further directed the KWSB's chief engineer to appear before the court at the next hearing.