The Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation’s (KWSC) 84-inch-diameter pipeline that supplies water to the city from the Hub Dam has more than 270 illegal connections, said Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab as he inspected the line at 4K Chowrangi, North Karachi.
Wahab, who is also the KWSC chairman, said that 27 of the connections from which two million gallons had been stolen were cut off. “The remaining connections will also be disconnected soon.”
He pointed out that 10 million gallons a day (mgd) is supplied to the city from the Hub Dam, while three million gallons is lost due to line leaks.
He said that they are working on repairing the leaks. “Big mafias are present in this city, so we are taking action against illegal connections and hydrants. This process of improvement will continue. No one will be allowed to rob the rights of citizens.”
He said that 90 to 100 mgd from the Hub Dam is released into the line. Of this a large amount of water disappears along the way, and merely 10 to 12 mgd is left for consumption, he added.
This, he pointed out, is due to some 270 illegal connections that have been taken by various communities, societies, industries and commercial establishments. He said that due to these illegal connections, the water of the government and the public is stolen, and the residents do not get their quota.
He shared how he has seen people illegally getting 2.2-inch connections from the Hub Dam line, resulting in the poor not getting water. He said that some institutions, some big societies and some industries steal this water.
“This is the beginning. I am determined that this operation will continue until all 270 connections are cut off. The water corporation is playing a bold role in this regard. I myself have inspected the line today. If the public is happy, the water corporation will be happy.” The Karachi mayor said that wherever there are any illegal connections to the water lines or the water hydrants in the city, they would take indiscriminate action against them.
He said the PPP government is working on various projects to solve the water supply problems in Karachi, the aim of which is to provide water to the city according to its needs.
These measures will prove useful only when the mafia involved in water theft is suppressed and arrangements are made so that no one dares to do illegal work in the future, he added. Also present on the occasion were PPP District South General Secretary Karamullah Waqasi, KWSC Managing Director Syed Salahuddin and Chief Executive Officer Asadullah Khan.
Published at The News on 20th August 2023