Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) in separate memoranda has requested Cooperative Societies Sindh and Secretary Land Utilisation Board of Revenue not to furnish any further lease to cooperative housing societies.

Around five such cooperative housing societies have created housing schemes and commercial blocks by encroaching on 261 acres land of KWSB’s trunk mains-ranging from eighteen inches dia to eighty-four inches dia, canals, pumping stations, conduits, syphons, reservoirs and chamber of the board, wrote Shoaib Tughlaq, senior Director Land and Estate KWSB in the letters.

These encroached lands by cooperative housing societies are falling within the precinct of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauher and Scheme 33.

Since 1980, encroachments have been cropping on KWSB land as water supply entity on subordinate department with different nomenclatures has been working under civic bodies like Karachi Development Authority and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation until it got solitary status until 1996.

“This procedural process remained a barrier in the way of KWSB administration that entity could not able taking action against the cooperative societies’ land encroachment”, officials KWSB maintained.

Though action against these practices has been initiating over the period of time by different government probe agencies, but without any avail, he informed.

Rizwan Cooperative Housing Society Limited created near Safoora Goth roundabout has encroached upon reserved land of old and new conduits of KWSB, measuring 300 feet, 200 feet and 100 feet totaling to 14 acres. This piece of land is the part and parcel of Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply System.

Areesha Cooperative Housing Society Limited behind Johar Complex KDA Scheme-33 has encroached upon the reserved Land of New conduit of water supply entity, having 100 feet reservations which becomes to 4 to 5 acres and also part and parcel of Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply System.

Pakistan Railway Employees Cooperative Housing Society Limited located behind Karachi University, near Kaneez Fatima Society, Gulzar-e-Hijri, KDA Scheme-33 has built housing scheme on the Land of Old (live) conduit of KWSB, consists of 200 feet reserved strip of land, with a total 5 to 6 acres, that was too part and parcel of Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply System.

On the matter of KDA housing scheme on KWSB land near National Cricket Stadium Karachi, meant for water system and gadgets installations, Director L&E KWSB has written a letter to secretary Land Utilisation Board of Revenue Sindh with a request to ban forthwith the provision of lease, allotment and transfer.

Moreover Shoaib in this letter also requested, “, Permission should not be given to KDA housing societies” without ‘No Objection Certificate’ from KWSB.

Deputy Commissioner East on the request of KWSB has also put a ban on fresh leases to KDA housing scheme members, he informed.

“Misbahuddin Fareed, former MD, Anwer Saeed, chief engineer (retd), Anwer Ali, retired superintending engineer now residing in Canada and in service Asif Qadri, superintending engineer Water Trunk Main department are said to be involved in helping the cooperative housing societies on land grabbing besides other misappropriations in the entity”, alleged KWSB officals.

Qamar Qureshi President Economic Forum Pakistan has alleged, “KWSB land has been grabbed with the connivance of entity’s land department officials, who had minted money without any check”.

The water works, history in Karachi, starts from 1845, British India government, under then Water Management Board, acquired the land for Dumlottee Well and allied Bulk Water Supply Scheme’s Conduits on gravity flow upto amongst Old Reservoirs in Karachi.

KWSB came into being later on in existence by KWSB Ordinance-1983, with authority duties and functions.

Where after in year 1996, KWSB remained operative under KWSB Act-1996 Sindh Act X of 1996 enacted to provide for establishment of a Board for supply of water and disposal of sewerage in Karachi division.