Clifton and DHA residents miss the water as the wells run dry
The CBC claims that the KWSB is watering down the crisis’ severity.
"Govt must take action against the KWSB and if they don’t, people will have to face an even greater water shortage," CBC spokesperson Amir Arbab PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC) is responsible for providing potable water in its jurisdiction, even if they have to resort to water tankers, but the current shortfall in the city has left the board helpless and now, even Clifton and DHA residents are feeling the crunch.
“On Thursday, when I went to the CBC office to ask them to provide me with a water tanker, they refused and informed me that due to the severity of the crisis, they are just providing tanker services to a handful of residents” said Afshan Ahmed, a resident of DHA Phase II.
She further added that the DHA and the CBC claim that it is their responsibility to provide water facilities and they charge a significant sum for the service. “I know that there is a serious water crisis in the city but they should provide water through tankers, as they had promised,” she said.
CBC blames the KWSB
CBC spokesperson Amir Arbab, agreed that people are coming to the CBC office and confronting them. “Some of them get really worked up and start cursing us,” said Arbab. “The water crisis has become a serious issue in our areas and it is because of the water board’s negligence. We are one of the bulk costumers of the board and they charge us a lot to supply us water. I don’t know what is happening inside the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) but it is the citizens that are suffering.”
He added that the water board has been campaigning against the illegal water tanker mafia for a year now but has little to show for it.
The CBC bulk water supply sub-divisional officer, Imran Khan, added that the CBC had no clue on how to handle the situation. “The coming days are going to be even worse,” he said.
Khan said that the CBC is currently receiving 4.9 million gallons per day (MGD) from the KWSB, while the demand is closer to 9 MGD. Khan added that, according to the water board, the supply will diminish even further in the upcoming days. “The Dhabeji and Pipri pumping stations have turned into white elephants for the KWSB as internal issues have rendered the two stations almost non-functional,” he pointed out. “The government must take strict action against the KWSB management.”
KWSB denies allegations
Meanwhile, the KWSB managing director Quttubuddin Sheikh told The Express Tribune that the whole city is in the midst of a serious water shortage and that the utility makes an added effort to provide potable water to the CBC since it is a bulk consumer.
Sheikh denied the CBC’s claim that the utility is providing less than five MGD. “We provided them with seven million gallons of water today from our three main pumping stations,” he claimed.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2014.
The Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC) is responsible for providing potable water in its jurisdiction, even if they have to resort to water tankers, but the current shortfall in the city has left the board helpless and now, even Clifton and DHA residents are feeling the crunch.
“On Thursday, when I went to the CBC office to ask them to provide me with a water tanker, they refused and informed me that due to the severity of the crisis, they are just providing tanker services to a handful of residents” said Afshan Ahmed, a resident of DHA Phase II.
She further added that the DHA and the CBC claim that it is their responsibility to provide water facilities and they charge a significant sum for the service. “I know that there is a serious water crisis in the city but they should provide water through tankers, as they had promised,” she said.
CBC blames the KWSB
CBC spokesperson Amir Arbab, agreed that people are coming to the CBC office and confronting them. “Some of them get really worked up and start cursing us,” said Arbab. “The water crisis has become a serious issue in our areas and it is because of the water board’s negligence. We are one of the bulk costumers of the board and they charge us a lot to supply us water. I don’t know what is happening inside the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) but it is the citizens that are suffering.”
He added that the water board has been campaigning against the illegal water tanker mafia for a year now but has little to show for it.
The CBC bulk water supply sub-divisional officer, Imran Khan, added that the CBC had no clue on how to handle the situation. “The coming days are going to be even worse,” he said.
Khan said that the CBC is currently receiving 4.9 million gallons per day (MGD) from the KWSB, while the demand is closer to 9 MGD. Khan added that, according to the water board, the supply will diminish even further in the upcoming days. “The Dhabeji and Pipri pumping stations have turned into white elephants for the KWSB as internal issues have rendered the two stations almost non-functional,” he pointed out. “The government must take strict action against the KWSB management.”
KWSB denies allegations
Meanwhile, the KWSB managing director Quttubuddin Sheikh told The Express Tribune that the whole city is in the midst of a serious water shortage and that the utility makes an added effort to provide potable water to the CBC since it is a bulk consumer.
Sheikh denied the CBC’s claim that the utility is providing less than five MGD. “We provided them with seven million gallons of water today from our three main pumping stations,” he claimed.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2014.