City's thirst deepens despite claims of normal flow

KWSC says Dhabeji repairs done, supply normal - but residents claim taps stay dry

KARACHI:

Taps across vast swathes of the city remain bone dry despite official claims that supply has returned to normal.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) claimed on Friday that the crisis is over. After completing repairs at the Dhabeji Pumping Station, it said, 40 million gallons per day have been restored to the system. The city is now receiving its routine 650 MGD supply, the spokesperson added, with all pumping stations "functioning normally without interruption."

However, on the ground, the picture looks starkly different.

From Korangi to Clifton, Liaquatabad to DHA, residents say they have been without pipeline water since April 25. With household storage tanks empty, many are forced to buy water from private tankers at exorbitant rates.

The anger is compounded by what residents call a tale of two cities. Sources allege that while neighbourhood pipelines remain parched, government-run hydrants have continued pumping without disruption - raising sharp questions about inequitable distribution.

"The KWSC says water is flowing. Our taps say otherwise," said a Gulistan-e-Jauhar resident who has been buying tanker water for 12 days. "If supply is normal, where is it going?"

The KWSC maintains all resources are being used to ensure "uninterrupted and equitable" supply. But for millions across Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, PIB Colony, Old City Area, Mahmoodabad, Manzoor Colony, and Korangi Crossing, equity feels like a distant promise.

Until water actually reaches their homes, Karachi's claim of "normal flow" remains just that - a claim. And in the sizzling May heat, patience is evaporating faster than the city's reserves.

Theft from main supply line unearthed

A major water theft operation involving illegal extraction of sweet water from a main supply line of the KWSC was uncovered during a joint operation conducted by Rangers and Water Corporation officials, authorities said on Friday.

According to a spokesperson for the Water Corporation, the action was launched following a tip-off regarding water theft through an illegal sub-soil network near the corporation's 33-inch main supply line (New SBL/CTM) located beneath Lasbela Bridge.

Teams from the Sub-Soil Management Department and Anti-Theft Cell, accompanied by Rangers personnel, carried out raids on three suspected sub-soil networks allegedly being operated by Shakeel Mehr and Ibrahim.

During the operation, officials discovered a hidden tunnel beneath a 50-foot-deep underground water tank at one of the sites. The tunnel was directly connected to the Water Corporation's main line and equipped with an 80-horsepower high-suction machine along with a four-inch pipeline allegedly being used to illegally extract sweet water.

Water samples collected from the site recorded a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level of 450, which experts said clearly indicated the presence of clean sweet water rather than sub-soil water.

Officials said the samples were also sent to a laboratory for further verification, after which the illegal network was sealed on the spot. A case has since been registered against the suspects under the Water Corporation Act at the Water Corporation police station, while further legal proceedings are underway.

Authorities said initial investigations into the other two sub-soil networks did not reveal evidence of sweet water theft, although samples were collected for examination.

Officials further stated that the network was allegedly owned and operated by Sub-Soil Association President Shakeel Mehr, who reportedly possesses the largest number of licences and bore facilities in the area. He was also described as one of the Water Corporation's major defaulters, with outstanding dues amounting to nearly Rs100 million after failing to clear payments for the past five months.

The spokesperson said the anti-theft campaign was being carried out under a zero-tolerance policy in line with the directives of Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab.