Utilities collision: NGO Shehri suggests installing meters at water hydrants

KARACHI: NGO Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment has suggested installing meters at water hydrants and charging their operators directly to avoid a crisis in the future.

In a press statement on Tuesday, the NGO said that they wrote to the chief secretary and other departments on November 5 to warn them that they need to take immediate action if they want to avoid a water crisis in the city. “We informed the chief secretary that KESC electricity is used at 21 KWSB tendered hydrants,” the statement said.

These hydrants supply water all over Karachi but there are no KESC meters installed at these hydrants, it said, adding that the KWSB charges a flat rate of Rs30 to fill a 1,000-gallon water tanker. “It is the responsibility of the KWSB representatives stationed at these hydrants to collect the money.”

Since there is no water meter, all hydrants have to be operated for a certain number of hours. There are no transparent or independent checks to make sure the hydrant is not operated beyond the sanctioned time, it said. “We strongly urge the KESC to install sub-meters at all 21 hydrants and bill their operators directly,” it suggested.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2013.