As predicted, the price of a 1,000-gallon water tanker went up since the city shut its hydrants last week. The tanker services are charging Rs2,500 up from Rs1,500.
Thus, the city’s decision to shut its water hydrants to clamp down on theft makes little sense since many areas do not have piped connections. This just means their residents are ready to pay double the price for a basic necessity, came the reaction from an association representing water suppliers.
“What is wrong with everyone? How come no one is looking at what’s really happening?” said Hazoor Khan of the Karachi Water Tankers Owners Association at a press conference on Tuesday. “People cannot survive without water. They will pay and use every means to get their hands on a tanker.”
Last week, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) prohibited the use of all hydrants, which are basically points for the commercial sale of water. The decision was mired in the controversy that water board officials taking kickbacks for giving permission to illegal hydrants. The owners of the water tanker services say the hydrants are still running in the night with the tacit approval of the same officials. “We wouldn’t be getting water otherwise,” Khan said.
“KWSB wants us to protest. It wants us to strike and park our tankers outside its office. That is how all the hydrants will get permission again and money will be made easily,” he alleged.
Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Baldia, Dalmia, Korangi, Surjani Town and New Karachi are some of the places where residents rely solely on commercial tankers.
Around 8,000 water tankers run in Karachi. There are subsoil hydrants as well as hydrants that suck water from the underground aquifers.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2012.
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The closing plan of water Hydrants was in the news for months now. Where was Mr. Hazoor Khan all this time. If only he and his colleagues in the fraudulent business had taken the news seriously or atleast advised other scammers to start paying for the city water they have been stealing from going to other communities they could have changed the picture today. But all of us wait for the last minute and then collect all hooligans to make a show for their rights-being-trampled on the basis of "this or that" controversial "racial or ethnic" issues. These water tankers reek havoc on the city roads, watery pot holes as big a cow can fall in. Many communities are getting water in their lines now because of this new step KWSB has taken.