KARACHI: Situation in Baldia volatile: Water crisis
KARACHI, June 13: Baldia Town, an area of about one million people, has been facing a serious situation due to water shortage for quite some time. Long queues of men, women and children can be seen outside the rangers’ hydrants from early in the morning till late hours in the night every day for a small quantity of water.
As piped water is supplied to different areas after a two-week break, rangers have been operating tanker service as an alternative source to provide some relief. Though the tankers undertake about 1,000 trips a day in the town, they still fail to provide water to a majority of the local consumers.
After the induction of new local government system, quota system for union councils of Baldia Town was introduced. However, after complaints of irregularities, rangers officials abolished the quota system and directed UC Nazims to identify the points where water should be made available.
To check the alleged irregularities and flaws in water distribution system, rangers personnel started monitoring the valve operation.
Residents of several localities in the town, while talking to PPI on Friday, expressed their resentment over the valvemen’s practice and pointed out that due to the unfair distribution of water, it could be seen flowing even on the streets in some localities while not a single drop was available in other areas where people had to wait for days.
According to sources, Water Board decided to remove illegal water connections in the town and an operation in this regard is to be launched soon.
One of the residents said that ironically, there was no Water Board office in the town to deal with the distribution affairs and other related matters.
People complained that their water connections were removed on account of non-payment of water bills. They, however, defended their refusal to pay water bills arguing that why should they pay for something that had never been provided to them. We cannot be declared ‘defaulters’, they insisted.
Scarcity of water in the town has forced many families to move to other areas in the city. The trend had also resulted in a decline in property prices.
Nazim of Baldia Town Aurangzaib Khan Bonaeri had recently written to the city Nazim for directives to the Water Board to address the water shortage problem that might lead to a law and order situation. Mr Bonaeri told PPI that he had written similar letters to the Water Board and rangers about the volatile situation and public resentment.
He made it clear to them that the town administration should not be held responsible if a law and order problem was resulted from the water crisis. The situation was growing tense as the people of the town were facing immense hardship, he added.
The town Nazim opined that water theft and illegal connection in the mains passing through the neighbouring Orangi did contribute to the water shortage in Baldia. He was of the view that those indulged in such an illegal practice were owners of cattle pens and factories.—PPI
