Daily Times

KARACHI: The Karachi Water Sewerage Board (KWSB) has detected around 14 legal and196 illegal hydrants across the city, Daily Times has learnt.

Around seven million gallon water is being sold illegally by hydrant mafia. They are profitable business and mega corruption in this sector in Karachi.

This was reported from Landhi no 1 Machar Colony, Landhi no 2 Manshera Colony, Shafora Goat, Industrial area, North Karachi, Shahki Hasan Nazimabad, Nipa Chourangi Gulshan, teen hatti, Baldia Town, Garden, Qasba Town, Oangi Town, Jarman school, and Shah Faisal Colony, are legal hydrants as controlled by KWSB management, that the illegal hydrants landhi, korangi, bin qasim, gaddap, national highway, super highway, Mangopir, Orangi town, Baldia town, site industrial area, korangi industrial and around in city illegal hydrants are stealing water, no record of water supply, no record of water tankers filings day to day, no record to revenue collection. However, a comprehensive action against the culprits has not been taken. The illegal hydrants have GOP, GOS and other private land, which are selling billion of rupees water, part of profitable business.

Karachi Water Board officials claimed of removing all the illicit hydrants from the metropolis. Water theft in Karachi became a profitable business, as there are many illegal hydrants, which are being used to steal water from the lines of KWSB.

Rangers, along with the local administration carried out operation to bulldoze these hydrants whereas Water Board officials have assured of removing the unlawful hydrants from the city. The Water Board has also submitted a report stating that only 14 hydrants are legally active whereas about 233 cases have been registered against illegal hydrants in different police stations. Report reveals that more than 196 illegal hydrants have been disconnected. However, various workers of Hydrant mafia have also been taken into custody.

The tanker mafia has made obtaining the basic necessity of water a curse for Karachi’s residents. There are various illegal hydrants allegedly operating in the city. According to KWSB, it has plugged 196 illegal hydrants operating in Karachi. Moreover, the operating hours of the hydrants has been reduced to 12 from 24 hours. The water Board official said that it has destroyed hundreds of sweet water hydrants to overcome shortage of water in the metropolis.

All Karachi Water Tanker Union has demanded that the Water Board and Rangers should take charge of hydrants in the city. The Water Tanker Union will start protests against water board management in Karachi.

All Karachi Water Tanker Union Committee Chairman Ifthiqar Abbasi would organise a news conference along with Tariq Sadoo Zai, Shareef Baloch, Younis Khan, Riaz Mughal and Arshad Mughal.

Iftheqar Abbasi demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should launch inquiry against water board officers and contractor of hydrants in mega corruption of water theft.