Fighting back: KESC answers KWSB allegations

Karachi Water and Sewage Board owes KESC Rs14 billion and and blames water supply shortage on load shedding.

KARACHI:

The water board is one of the Karachi Electric Supply Company’s important customers, which is why it is exempted from any load shedding, said the utility on Friday. But, unfortunately, the Karachi Water and Sewage Board owes KESC Rs14 billion.

With this outstanding default, the KWSB is KESC’s No. 1 defaulter, said a press release. KESC said that despite its resolve to disconnect people who don’t pay their bills, it has never done this for KWSB pumping stations. While KESC said that it has a special team to tackle complaints at the pumping stations, the KWSB says that the load shedding has been affecting the flow of water. The power breakdowns cause the pumping stations to trip, leading to vaccums in the pipelines. When this happens, the water supply has to be eased back in, otherwise the pressure becomes untenable.

In response to these allegations, KESC said that the increase in technical faults at Gharo and Pipri pumping stations are primarily attributable to the illegal power connections hooked up to the KWSB power supply feeders and PMTs. This power theft causes the excessive tripping, KESC said. To make matters worse, conductor and wire theft on the extra high-tension Pipri ciruit that supplies power to the KWSB KDA filter plant, is wreaking havoc with the KESC distribution system.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th,  2011.