Karachi’s water woes
Karachi, certainly, is the only world metropolitan that struggles to have its due share of water. The reasons are embedded in lack of planning, mismanagement as well as an inherent bias towards its dwellers. Thus, water shortage, its rationing as per distribution area-wise and tanker-mafia are some of the salient features of the civic mosaic as the basic utility of life is denied to Karachiites. Political connotation too acts as an impediment, and it has been there for decades. It is common knowledge that people are accustomed to hydrants and rely on them by shelling vast amounts of money. This horrible picture elicits response from authorities concerned, but the enigma is that none are there to take the onus.
These days Karachi is once again simmering with water scarcity. This is further compounded as loadshedding makes life miserable, and the KWSB likewise keeps fingers crossed. Water shortage, nonetheless, has two dimensions: one; released water is stolen at source making room for water-tankers to fleece the consumers; and two, the mega water supply project K-IV hangs in the balance. This is where KWSB, in collusion with authorities in the Sindh government, makes money by selling water at exorbitant rates. It’s an organised mafia at work with blanket political impunity.
It is said that over 550 million gallons of water per day is released from Dhabeji pumping station. Karachi’s main reservoir of water lies at Hub in Balochistan, but its supply mechanism remains a rocket-science to this day. Though the city population has risen manifold, no extra water has come Karachi’s way from the Indus basin, making it a perpetual case of political bias. The K-IV initiated in 2007, which will see 650 million gallons of water a day, is still in limbo, and its cost stands escalated from Rs25 billion to Rs150 billion. Even the gigantic allocation under the Karachi Transformation Package couldn’t ensure it to this day. This needs some instant auto-correction and, moreover, an element of acumen to see it happen.