19 November 2004	Friday	06 Shawwal 1425

KARACHI, Nov 18: A high-level meeting here on Thursday decided, in principle, to close down six, of the 10, KWSB hydrants presently being managed by the rangers , while the remaining four hydrants would be given back to Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

The hydrants, which would be closed include LSR (Low Supply Reservoir), situated behind Civic Centre; North Nazimabad's Sakhi Hassan hydrant; Federal B' Area's water pump hydrant; Shah Faisal Colony's two hydrants and Juma Goth hydrant.

The four hydrants which would function under the control of the KWSB are in North-East Karachi, Muslimabad, Malir and a new hydrant being set up at Hub.

The meeting was presided over by the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan. The KWSB managing director Brig Iftikhar Hyder, deputy managing director (Technical Services) Israr Zaidi, City Nazim's coordinators Faizanullah, Salim Azhar, Izharul Haq and Town Nazims Abdul Wahab, Ahmed Parekh, Farooq Niamatullah, Aurangzeb, Fasihuddin, Naveed-ul-Islam, Shafiqur Rehman Usmani and Haji Mushtaq attended the meeting.

It decided that shortly after withdrawal of the ranger personnel from the KWSB hydrants, the control of the remaining four hydrants and a new hydrant being constructed at Hub would be taken over by the KWSB.

The City government would supervise the distribution of water through an advisory council after fixing the quota of water for different areas of the city, in consultation with Nazims of concerned towns.

Niamatullah Khan told the meeting that the decision had been taken in the best interest of citizens, and expressed the hope that water supply position would improve considerably once the water distribution system through tankers is made transparent.

He said hydrants which would continue to operate would be categorized as commercial and residential. The hydrants specified for residential purpose would supply water through tankers only to general public, while the others would be used exclusively for commercial purposes. "Such an arrangement would not only save the city roads from being ruined, but traffic accidents would also be checked to a greater extent," Mr Khan hoped.

The KWSB managing director told that the meeting the KWSB would get its staff trained by the rangers to run the hydrants.