SHC seeks water contract details from DHA, CBC, KWSB

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), DHA and Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) details of their water contract on a petition regarding supply of drinking water to the residents of DHA and Clifton.

Appearing before a two-member SHC bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi, the petitioner's counsel submitted that there are six cantonment boards in Karachi, out of which five supply uninterrupted drinking water to its residents but only residents of CBC and DHA do not receive water up to the full capacity.

Justice Abbasi remarked that the DHA had been established 40 years ago but still it cannot provide drinking water to its residents. "Earlier the DHA was a society but now it has been functioning as an authority for the past 30 years," the judge remarked. "It seems mafias are operating in the city and minting money."

The CBC counsel submitted that the DHA received 9MGD of water in 2016, but it has now been reduced to a little over 2MGD. DHA and CBC require 16MGD of water, while line losses have increased, the counsel further submitted.

Justice Abbasi remarked that slums have been built on the water passages who also steal water. Tankers take the same water to deliver to people, which become line losses. The water and electricity shortages in the city are exaggerated. He attributed all this to mala fide intentions of those who do not do what they are supposed to do.

"Neither the earth soaks in all water nor that the sky swallows it, he remarked. "Most of the water is going to tankers mafias," he added. "But the question is why the DHA has not been able to provide water to its residents in so many years. DHA seems to have no master plan."

He further remarked that "the DHA cuts the land and makes a plot according to its own choosing. During rains, the houses in DHA are flooded and the drains overflow, but we are not taking up these issues now."

In its response, the DHA stated that it receives only 18% of the water it requires from the KWSB. The DHA always endeavours to provide all possible support to KWSB to supply water to DHA residents as per its demand.

The court sought details of the water contract from KWSB, DHA and CBC. It called for a report from the parties on May 30.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2023.