Free tanker quota for city's DCs abolished

The Commissioner of Karachi has abolished the free water tanker quota previously allocated to the city's deputy commissioners (DCs). The Managing Director (MD) of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation has received formal directives to immediately enforce the decision, which officials say could save the exchequer millions of rupees every month.

According to insiders, deputy commissioners of the seven districts of the city had been availing free water tankers worth between Rs20 to Rs30 million monthly. Over the years, the total value of water distributed through this quota has crossed Rs4 billion. Although this cost was meant to be settled by the Sindh government, the payments have never materialized, creating a longstanding financial burden.

The commissioner's directives were conveyed through Assistant Commissioner Rabia Saeed, who issued an official letter to the MD Water Board. The letter clearly ordered that the provision of free tankers from all seven government hydrants across Karachi be stopped with immediate effect.

The correspondence further highlighted that the facility had originally been introduced to ensure water supply to areas where pipelines could not reach. The responsibility of distribution was handed to the DCs, who were expected to oversee fair allocation of tankers in underserved localities. However, officials admitted that the system failed to operate effectively.