Water scarcity hits city

Citizens have no choice but to order tankers to meet their water needs

KARACHI:

Different areas of Karachi are facing the worst water crisis. In some areas, an artificial water crisis has been created with the connivance of the Water Board officers, due to which the citizens of these areas are forced to get water through tankers. Still, the top officials of the water board are not showing seriousness in solving the problem.

According to the details, the citizens facing the worst water crisis in different areas of Karachi are meeting their needs by buying water through tankers.

Sources say that in various areas of Karachi like North Karachi, New Karachi, Orangi Town, Gulshan Iqbal, Liaquat Abad, Manzoor Colony, Mehmood Abad, and other regions, citizens are facing severe water shortages. Water scarcity is being met in various areas due to lack of water in the system. Still, in some areas, an artificial crisis is being created with the cooperation and monopoly of highly influential officials of the Water Board.

Sources say that XEN Wasif Farooqi, who has been deployed in Gulshan Iqbal for the last ten years, is said to be so influential that he does not even consider MD Water Board, CIO and CO.

There has been a severe shortage of water in different blocks of Gulshane Iqbal for the last two months, and water is being supplied for one day with a gap of 10 to 15 days. At the same time, water is shut off in different blocks of Gulshan Iqbal, 13D, 13D1, 13D2, block five and other blocks. In contrast, water is being supplied to slums in the surrounding areas, allegedly with the connivance of Wasif Farooqui. While the majority of the residents of the affected area are paying the water bill, and on the other hand, with the alleged connivance of Wasif Farooqui, water is being supplied to the slums.

Sources say that MD Rafiq Qureshi has been informing about the burning issue for the last two months, and now CO Asadullah Khan has also been told that there is a severe water shortage in the above mentioned areas. Still, no action has been taken by the higher authorities in this regard. Sources say that Wasif Farooqui is a XEN, but no one is ready to take action against him. He has been posted in Gulshan Iqbal for ten years, but no one possesses the power to transfer him. Not thousands, but millions of residents of Gulshan Iqbal, with the appointment of influential and incompetent officers, are being deprived of water, and nobody comes to the front to solve their problem.

The number of flats in the affected areas of Gulshane Iqbal is very high, so the citizens have to buy water at exorbitant rates for their needs.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2022.