Daily Times

KARACHI: Residents of Karachi continue to face water shortage in several parts of the city following Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr due to poor water distribution policies.

Previously formulated Ramzan water supply policy also failed to ensure the smooth provision of potable water to the residents during the month of Ramzan.

During the water scarcity, water starved people broke down their respective main water supply lines in several areas of the city including Pak Colony, Orangi Town, Qasba, Maghopir, Surjani, North Nazimabad, New Karachi, North Karachi, Sadman and the Buffer Zone

On Eid days, consumers remained unattended by hydrants’ staff due to the lack of tankers at several hydrants. Power outages and disruption rendered water pumping stations nonfunctional, making the citizen’s plight worse.

The people of Karachi lived without water for more than 36 hours when the pipeline water supply remained suspended for two days. During this time period, the residents only had access to water for two hours per day.

Meanwhile, hydrant water supply rates increased to Rs12000 for 5,000 Gallons (gal) of water. The six previously installed hydrants also failed to maintain smooth supply of water to their respective areas in Landhi, Korangi, Nipa, Sofora, Sakhi Hasan and Manghopir.

Illegal hydrants cropped up and began to supply water in exchange for money in several parts of the city including the Landhi, Bin Qasim, Super Highway, Gadap, Pak Colony, Haroonabad and Manghopir areas.

In response to the ongoing water crisis, the KWSB approved of a plan to supply water through sub soil water hydrants and invited tenders for this purpose.

According to the details, the visit of a technical team to Gharo, Dhabeji, Pipri and Chilya water sites for collecting firsthand knowledge about the water crisis in the city had also remained unsuccessful.

According to the KWSB Deputy Managing Director Technical Service (DMD TS) Asadullah Khan there was a shortage of around 80 million gal of water per day in the city.

Asadullah Khan attributed the shortage to leakages that had not been fixed and the limited capacity of motors and related apparatus.

KWSB Managing Director (MD) Khalid Mahmood Shiekh also submitted a report to the Water Commission (WC) explaining reasons behind the water crisis in city.

Currently water supply from Gharo and Dhabeji sources to city stands around 470 million gallons per day (MGD) while it should be around 560 MGD.

Pumping stations in these two sites with working capacity of 24 MGD, 25 MGD and 36 MGD have now become outdated and there is a need to revamp their capacity or replace them.

According to the sources, these pumping stations have not been working according to their capacity due to insufficient supervisory work of water officials stationed at these sites.

Around 94 MGD supply from Hub Dam water source has been stopped due to lowered water levels. Only 20 MGD is being supplied to parts of the city.

Areas most affected by the water shortage include Baldia Town, Orangi Town, Manghopir, Qasba, Surjani, Banara, Pahtan Colony and some parts of North Nazimabad.

Published in Daily Times, June 20^th 2018.