CM directs KWSB to start operation against water theft

Aim is to provide water to the repaired areas of the city

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) and decided to launch a vigorous operation against water theft so that water could be supplied to the water deprived areas of the city.

“The KWSB must improve its overall performance by ushering in the best professional practices in its entire system right from administration to water distribution, revenue collection to enhancing revenue resources, reducing line losses to completion of its projects in time.” Mr Shah said that the KWSB is responsible for production, transmission, and distribution of water to the people of Karachi.

“The institution will have to demonstrate its professionalism in its working and services,” CM said. The meeting was attended by Minister of Local Government Nasir Shah, Minister of Labour Saeed Ghani, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, CM Special Assistant Waqar Mehdi, Principal Secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary LG Najam Shah, former MD Water Board Asadullah Khan, MD Water Board, and chief engineers at CM House on Friday.

The Minister of Local Government Syed Nasir Shah while briefing the Chief Minister on system related issues said that overall water supply to Karachi city was around 406 MGD against a demand of 1000 MGD. He said that water distribution network outlived water system laid decades back. Giving details of available water supply, Shah said that KWSB took 450 MGD water from Dhabeji, 100 MGD from Hub and 30 MGD Gharo and in this way we have 580 MDG, of which 30% or 174 MGD goes waste in line losses that means 406 MGD is available for the city.

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It may be noted that 40 gallons of water per capita for 25 million population of the city comes to 1000 MGD. According to Syed Nasir Shah, power break down problem at Dhabeji, Gharo or Hub results in immediate reduction in supply. The meeting was told that the water demand in each District or town has increased twice against the supplied water.

The CM questioned from the Local Government Minister and Water Board team that when there was such a serious shortage of 594 MGD in the city how people were meeting it? On this they replied that the city was meting its water needs through water tankers. At this the CM said that it says water was available in the system from where the tankers were supplying water to meet the demand. Murad Ali Shah directed the chief secretary to coordinate with Rangers, Police, and other related agencies to start a decisive operation against the water theft in the city.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2022.