Water shortage or not, DHA residents warned not to use suction pumps

CBC officials estimate at least 30 per cent of residents are engaged in the ‘illegal’ activity.

KARACHI: The Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) has decided to take action against residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) who use suction pumps to draw extra water from the pipeline, officials told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

When a resident uses a water suction pump, also known as a donkey pump, the neighbours suffer, explained CBC engineer Asad Shah.

Notices would be issued to individuals who use these pumps, and they could also be fined if they did not discontinue the activity.

“If there are five houses on a street, and just one of them is withdrawing more water from the main pipeline, then it is possible that the other houses would not receive a drop of water sometimes,” said Shah.

The practice is rampant in the DHA, which is facing severe water shortage. Residents have been forced to rely on tankers to meet their water needs.

Aziz Suharwardy, who represents residents on the CBC board, estimated that at least 30 percent of the houses in the locality use pumps to draw extra water. “We realise there is water shortage, but using suction pumps is illegal and everyone has to abide by the rules.”

Shah said that people were not aware of other unintentional consequences of using these pumps.

“When there is no water in the pipeline, the pump sucks air and often causes the pipeline to burst. Nearby sewerage pipelines can also get damaged.”

The CBC’s officials say that they rely on public complaints to take action.

However, the vigilance staff would monitor the water flow in main pipelines and send teams for inspection. “Wherever we suspect that pumps are being used, we will send our staff [to check].

They could reach the culprits from the noise their motor would be making if it was on.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2012.