Daily Times

KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) has directed the Cantonment Boards (CBS) that it would be compulsory now to obtain no-objection certificate (NOC) s to get a new water or sewerage connection, Daily Times has learnt.

After several failed attempts to negotiate the terms with CBs over the persistent conflict about collection/share for commercialization and betterment charges, the KW&SB has finally informed the CBs that the new water or sewerage connection to the high rise buildings would only be given if NOC from KW&SB is obtained by the CBs at the time of approving the building plan.

Managing Director, KW&SB, Misbahuddin Fareed, in a letter written to the Director Military (Land & Estate) and the CEOs of all CBs of Karachi, states that the present availability of water to Karachi does not permit to cope with water demand and to collect the additional sewage generation form such high rise buildings.

“Foregoing in view, under the directives of its Chairman / Minister, Local Government Department (LGD) Sindh, government of Sindh, KW&SB is compelled to take hard-core decision that only the application(s) for new water or sewerage connection for high rise buildings will be entertained or processed for sanction for which the conditions are met which includes NOC from KW&SB is obtained by the CBs at the time of approving the building plan, reconciliation and clearance of the past dues in respect of betterment charges is done and betterment charges shall be shared with KW&SB at time of payment of fee by the building / developer to CBs”, added Fareed.

The MD further states that the construction of high rise buildings have increased considerably in the city over couple of years, the different CBs are empowered to approve such developments and to collect fee for commercialization and betterment charges the later is meant for the corresponding infrastructure development to coup with the requirement of the development

“KW&SB being service based utility agency is responsible to supply water to mega city along with disposal of sewerage However, unheeded to this massive substance of development promise, it is regretted that the due share of the betterment fees collected by CBs has not ever been given to KW&SB”.

It is worth mentioning that the betterment charges thus collected shall be spent on upgrading and betterment of infrastructure including water and sewerage system, however, the KW&SB share is yet to be reconciled and released by the CBs, the letter, available with this scribe, added.

In the recent past, while processing the building plans and civil sketches by the cantonments boards, particular need of KW&SB inputs about existing urban infrastructure and civic amenities as well as future vision of the neighborhoods in relation of tomorrows water and sewerage requirements has been realized.

Now with no liaison, the situation is dilapidating day by day. The construction of high rises is causing densification in the cantonment jurisdictions / residential areas and congestion of population, KW&SB has been neglected in the process of approval the building plan and permission has been granted without getting any information from KW&SB in respect of the water and sewerage availability.

Fareed states that the mismanagement, unplanned development and poor understanding of the importance of water and sewerage sectors has messed up the city rather than boosting the economy, threatening the environment, ambience and making the life more difficult for the citizens.