Sindh

Most parts of Karachi run dry

Officials in the billing department are accused of diverting water meant for citizens to commercial centres

Our Correspondent January 24, 2024

People are seen bathing while others cool off from the heat as they are sprayed with water jetting out from a leaking water pipeline in Karachi, June 25, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI:

The water supply in various areas of the metropolis is severely affected due to the inequitable distribution. In this distressing situation, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) is discreetly raising water rates, causing more financial burden on the inflation-hit citizens.

According to reports, in 70 per cent of residential apartments in Karachi, water is obtained through boreholes, and citizens are obligated to pay regular water bills. Senior officers in the KWSC's billing department have orchestrated the distribution of water in a manner that favours commercial centres over residential areas, sources told The Express Tribune.

The city follows a water supply schedule, with varying intervals in different areas - every four days in some, 8 to 10 days in others, and, surprisingly, 15 to 20 days in certain residential zones. Shockingly, water supply has been halted for several years in areas with existing water pipelines.

Residents in different areas are compelled to procure water through tankers, despite paying regular water bills. Insiders claim that a questionable water distribution system is allegedly being managed by the KWSC's billing officer, Sikandar Zardari, under the alleged oversight of another officer named Wasif Farooqui in district east.

Read: Water levels drop in Rawal, Khanpur dams

Previously reliable water supply areas like Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Bahadurabad, Mehmoodabad, and Gulistan-e-Jauhar are now suffering due to this alleged system, with citizens experiencing water shortages.

Officials in the billing department are accused of diverting water meant for citizens to commercial centres. The unequal water distribution in Karachi has deprived citizens of the essential resource, and there are reports of illegal water tapping from supply lines, allegedly with the connivance of KWSC officials.

Insiders indicate that this corrupt system has exacerbated water issues in the city, affecting 30 to 40 per cent of KWSC consumers in Karachi who do not receive water despite being billed for it.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2024.