Many city localities left parched in hot weather

Residents accuse KWSC officials of deliberately disrupting residential water supply

KARACHI:

The Wasim Bagh and Baloch Goth neighbourhoods of Gulshan-e-Iqbal have been in the grip of a severe waters shortage for over a month, with residents reporting little to no access to clean water. While a few streets continue to receive limited supply, residents say the water is contaminated with sewage, forcing them to rely on private tankers at inflated prices.

The residents allege that the crisis has been exacerbated by years of alleged corruption within the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC). They accuse local officials of deliberately disrupting residential water supply while ensuring uninterrupted service to commercial establishments, including wedding halls and shops, through illegal connections.

The residents accuse Assistant Executive Engineer Nabeel Ahmed and Executive Engineer (Exen) Wasif Farooqi for being openly involved in bribery in return for tampering with the area's water infrastructure. "In Block 13-D2 (Wasim Bagh) and Block 13-D3 (Baloch Goth), many streets have not received water for years, while others receive only a trickle. But commercial units never seem to suffer," claimed a local resident.

The situation worsened after an 84-inch main pipeline at the University of Karachi was damaged on April 29. Although repair work took over a week and supply was restored citywide by May 10, residents claim that Wasim Bagh and Baloch Goth remain severely affected.

Executive Engineer Wasif Farooqi announced plans to improve water distribution by installing a booster pump at Hasan Square and a valve near Continental Bakery. However, residents say both projects have faced prolonged delays, and there has been no improvement in supply.

"Now, the little water we do get is mixed with sewage," said resident Syed Ali. "This looks like a deliberate attempt to create an artificial water shortage, allowing the tanker mafia to profit at the expense of residents. We believe some KWSC officials are colluding with them," he added.

The residents have appealed to KWSC CEO Ahmed Ali Siddiqui to immediately suspend the engineers involved, restore clean water supply to residential areas, and order a thorough investigation into the contamination and tanker operations.