File photo of a hydrant. PHOTO: INP
Residents of the Defence Housing Authority and the adjoining Clifton must brace themselves for a water crisis as two pumping machines of the water board stopped working.
Several complaints have been filed to the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC), The Express Tribune has learnt. The two main pumping stations at Dhabeji and Pipri stopped working and power supply has been suspended to Pipri since Wednesday morning, claimed a Karachi Water and Sewage Board (KWSB) official.
"The people from these areas will face a serious crisis in the future if the pumping machines are not fixed immediately and electricity supply is not restored," he warned. According to him, Pipri is the main station that pumps potable water to DHA and other adjacent areas.
The CBC blamed the water board for the shortage. The KWSB blocked water supply to the 68,000 residences in DHA and other adjoining areas that has led to an immense crisis in the neighbourhood, said CBC spokesperson Farkhanda Ahmed. People have started coming to the CBC office to demand immediate restoration of water supply, she added.
CBC bulk water supply sub-divisional officer Imran Khan told The Express Tribune that there was a lot of mismanagement on the part of the water board."This is still not a severe crisis," he assured. "We are receiving five million gallons per day (MGD) instead of nine MGD but, hopefully, we will solve the issue as soon as possible."
On the accusations that CBC owes Rs220 million to the water board, Khan responded that the cantonment board is very prompt in its payments. "We paid them Rs20 million only last month."
Even KWSB's deputy director for technical services, Najmi Alam, clarified there was no conflict between the two departments. The water crisis is there in the entire city and the CBC is also suffering from the consequences like any other part of the city, he added.
Alam added that the presence of illegal water hydrants in Korangi and Landhi are stealing the water meant for DHA and that is causing the shortage. "In districts West and South, over 50 illegal water hydrants are working," he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Alam blamed the electricity utility for cutting power to the pumping stations. Apart from Pipri, the other six pumping stations are also deprived of power, he claimed. "Whenever they shut down electricity supply, the cycle of water supply to the city is disturbed and the board becomes helpless in ensuring smooth supply," he said.
His reasons were dismissed by a spokesperson of Karachi Electric. "No power outages have been carried out at the pumping stations for the last five months," the official said. "The rolling blackouts are a result of internal line faults."
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2014.
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Cantonment board clifton is absolutely silent and we are not being given any hope of resolution of this severe crisis !
I humbly request the competent authority of KW&SB and cantonment board clifton to let us know for how long we will face this water crisis.we are getting water supply in a small quantity only once a week and getting tankers at exhorbitant rates is beyond our capacity. Please help!