26 June 2004	Saturday	07 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, June 25: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board is yet to implement in letter and spirit the order of Sindh governor regarding immediate replacement of the valve-operation staff in the city.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had issued this directive last month, during his visit to different city localities, where people complained about highhandedness of the KWSB valvemen.

"All valve-operation staff should be replaced immediately in Karachi, as complaints against the present staff were growing and people were expressing resentment over their performance," the governor had said. However, despite the clear order issued a month back, very little progress has been made on the issue, and majority of the valvemen are still working at their places.

Talking to the PPI, people from different city localities severely criticized the valvemen's role in water distribution system, accusing them of creating artificial water crisis, despite availability of sufficient quantity of water in the city.

"The responsibility of provision of water to people largely lies with the valvemen, as they are at the end point after release of water from the source, passing through the whole water supply system," one resident of Lyari said, and alleged that water was provided to those localities, where the residents grease the palm of valveman.

The elected representatives of local bodies, blaming the KWSB for its inability to cater to the water needs of the city, said that the whole chain engaged in water distribution was totally oblivious to the sufferings of people, caused by water scarcity.

The Baldia Town Naim, Aurangzaib Khan, told PPI that the governor's order was yet to be implemented in the town as all the valve-operation staff was the same, as was working at the time of governor's visit to Baldia Town.

"Only some private valvemen are replaced but majority of them are still working there, adding to people's miseries," he added, saying that the KWSB had failed to overcome water scarcity in the city despite having work force in thousands and consuming huge government budget.

Lyari Town Naib Nazim Malik Mohammad Khan Awan expressed similar views, when contacted, and said that the governor's order had not been complied with so far by the KWSB in Lyari, which he said was the most water-starved area of the city.

"No improvement has been witnessed in water supply to the area despite the instructions of governor, and people continue to suffer this apathy on the part of KWSB," he added.

He said that the governor had also directed the KWSB chief to take immediate steps for provision of water to the residents of Lyari Town but no such thing happened despite the passage of about one month.

Authorities concerned in Keamari, Liaquatabad, Orangi, SITE and some other towns had also similar complaints, as no such development took place there in the last one month.

Some KWSB officials, when contacted, confirmed that very little progress had been made in this regard, adding that a complete replacement of valvemen could not be carried out overnight, as it would take time.

KWSB Managing Director Brig Iftikhar Hyder said, when asked about the issue, that he had taken some initiatives in the light of the instructions of Sindh governor. However, he said that complete replacement of valvemen in summer was not practical because the whole water distribution network might collapse due to it.

"There is no water crisis in the city, as a whole, except for few areas, which are not being supplied adequate water," Brig Iftekhar said, adding that he received hardly eight to ten complaints daily in the city, having 15 million population.-PPI