The water board said it is shutting down its six remaining official hydrants to cut off theft but the move is likely to drive up prices for tankers.
In the immediate short term, residents in DHA, the cantonments, Gulistan-e-Johar, parts of Nazimabad, Korangi and Orangi could face a shortage. “We are closing them once and for all,” said managing director Misbahuddin Farid. “This will help clear the ambiguity, which helps people steal and sell water. It will also make it easier to take action against the illegal hydrants.”
The six hydrants are located at Sakhi Hasan, Landhi Future Colony, Landhi-Mansehra Colony, Nipa Chowrangi, Baldia and Garden. Tankers fill up here to sell in areas not connected to the piped network.
Over the last few months, KWSB has cracked down on dozens of illegal hydrants around the city, believed to run into the hundreds. Some were even found built inside houses. But many more continue to operate with the alleged help of the KWSB’s staff.
Thus it remains to be seen if closing the hydrants will have an effect. An office bearer with the Karachi Water Tanker Owners Welfare Association laughed when asked to comment. “Relax, nothing will happen,” he said. “There are so many illegal hydrants that we will easily manage the supply.”
When the hydrants close, however, the prices will go up. “It all makes sense. Now illegally supplied water will cost more. KWSB will blame the mafia and not take action. Everyone gets a cut.”
For its part, however, the water board has said that the hydrants sprouting up all over the city were causing the water pressure to drop in the pipelines.
A hydrant normally runs for 12 hours, pumping 1,500 gallons per minute which comes up to a sale of 1.08 million gallons per day from one pump. The tanker owners buy one gallon for Rs0.125 and sell it to customers at Rs0.35, which means they buy water for Rs135,000 and sell it for Rs378,000 from one pump in a day.
In most cases, one hydrant has four or five filling points, which pump water from the pipelines and transfer it to the tankers. All of them supply at least 1,500 gallons per minute.
There is no exact figure on the earnings through legal or illegal hydrants, but the water tanker association and water board officials said that it is a billion-rupee business.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2012.
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