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KARACHI, May 17: The KWSB will close two major hydrants – Muslimabad and LSR (Low Supply Reservoir) – shortly after taking over them from the Rangers on May 25. In another development, night water tanker service (from 8pm to 6am) has been suspended from Muslimabad, LSR and Sydnum hydrants from Monday to ensure uninterrupted water supply to various parts of former district South, including Clifton, Defence and old city areas, through pipelines.
The service was suspended by the KWSB Managing Director, Brig Iftikhar Haider, Dawn was told.
Sources in the KWSB said the Rangers through an official communiqué had asked the KWSB to depute its staff at the Muslimabad and LSR hydrants, as their phased handing/taking over might commence on May 15.
However, in a letter sent to the Rangers by the KWSB chief engineer (Bulk Supply), Ali Mohammad Palejo, has stated inter alia: “The KWSB is ready to takeover the hydrants (Muslimabad and LSR), but as per the approved policy of the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, who is also chairman of the KWSB, these hydrants will be closed forthwith.”
Elaborating, he requested the Rangers to immediately make arrangements for adjusting the gratis water tanker service, being provided by LSR and Muslimabad hydrants, with other remaining hydrants run by the Rangers.
According to sources, around 1,500 tankers are supplied on gratis basis daily from both the LSR and Muslimabad hydrants to the water deficient pockets of the metropolis while as many as 4,500 hydrants are supplied daily on commercial basis from these two hydrants to water-starved localities of Defence and Clifton.
Asked when the Rangers would handover the remaining seven hydrants to the KWSB, sources in the board said that though no final decision in this regard had, so far, been taken, they had requested the Rangers to adjust the gratis water tanker service, currently being supplied from LSR and Muslimabad to the remaining hydrants as long as their operation remained with the Rangers.
The KWSB hydrants, which will continue to function under the supervision of Rangers, are situated at the Shah Faisal Colony, Juma Goth, North-East Karachi, near North Nazimabad’s Sakhi Hassan traffic intersection, Jamia Millia and Federal B’ Area water pump traffic intersection.
SHORTAGE: Complaints of persisting water shortage continues to pour into newspaper offices from various parts of the city.
The hard-hit localities include the Karachi Administration Cooperative Housing Society’s (KACHS) Block 2 and North Nazimabad’s Block P (Hussain De Silva Town).
Affected residents of the KACHS block complained that though they had been experiencing acute water shortage for the last one month, the KWSB and Jamshed Town officials concerned have not yet been able to restore normal supply despite a number of complaints lodged with them.
Similarly, residents of Hussain De Silva Town complained that since water to their locality was being supplied after six or days, they had no choice but to purchase water from private tankers at exorbitant rates.
