Artificial water crisis leaves city areas parched

Large parts of Karachi have been facing a crippling water shortage for over a week, with supply reduced to a few minutes a day in several areas, sparking outrage among residents who accuse the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) of creating an "artificial crisis" to benefit the tanker mafia.

Reportedly, the city's water distribution system has been thrown into chaos by the KWSC's Bulk Water Supply Department. Despite public outcry, officials have avoided giving any explanation for the worsening situation, further fueling suspicions that deliberate mismanagement is behind the shortage. Residents in multiple localities - including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, Nazimabad, North Karachi, and New Karachi - have been deprived of regular water supply for the past seven days.

A senior source said, "The repair of a 48-inch main line near the University of Karachi, which should have taken two days, dragged on for five, but even after completion, supply has not been restored. The situation indicates internal mismanagement rather than technical fault."

Chief Engineer (Bulk) Sikandar Zardari has reportedly been unavailable for several days and did not visit key repair sites. Calls made to him by Express News for comment went unanswered, continuing a pattern of non-responsiveness by KWSC officials.

Meanwhile, hydrants across the city remain fully functional, supplying water to private tankers at commercial rates - a situation that has led many citizens to believe that the crisis has been deliberately engineered to boost the illegal tanker business.