KARACHI, April 5: Various parts of the city are in the grip of acute water shortage for the last one month reportedly owing to frequent power breakdowns occurring at the KWSB’s bulk water pumping stations.
The hard-hit localities include Pak Colony, North Nazimabad’s blocks B (Hussain D’Salva Town) and C, Technical Training Centre, Hyderi, various blocks of Landhi’s Area 2-B (from Block No 1 to 77), Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 4-A, 13-D, 13-D, parts of PECHS Block 2, different blocks of North Karachi, Clifton’s Block 2, Jamshed Road, Mehmoodabad, parts of Model Colony, Malir, and Khokrapar.
Attributing the persisting water shortage to frequent power failures at bulk water pumping stations, sources in the KWSB said that almost all bulk water pumping stations located at Pipri, Dhabeji No 1 and 2, Gharo, Dumlottee, NEK (North-East Karachi) K-II had suffered frequent power failures during the last one month.
In support of their contention that pumping of water from the bulk water pumping station was affected during the last one month mainly owing to frequent power breakdowns, they showed a letter which the KWSB’s chief engineer (Electrical and Mechanical) had written to the KESC’s director (Network) on April 4.
Giving date-wise list of power breakdowns which occurred at KWSB’s bulk water pumping stations during the previous month, KWSB’s chief engineer in his letter addressed to the KESC’s director (Network) inter alia stated: “These frequent power supply breakdowns are, on the one hand, creating a very bad impression of the KWSB on account of short supply of potable water to consumers and, on the other, causing irreparable losses to pipelines, as due to sudden power failures pipelines get bursts.”
KESC official had been requested through the letter to ensure uninterrupted power supply at KWSB’s water supply and sewerage disposal pumping stations.
Residents of the affected areas said that water shortage in their localities had been persisting as KWSB officials had curtailed the duration of supply with a very low pressure.
They said that in the absence of potable water they had to either consume sub-soil unhygienic water or purchase private tankers at exorbitant rates.
CONTAMINATION: People residing in the vicinity of Hyderi’s Technical Training Centre (North Nazimabad’s Block C) complained that although they had been receiving contaminated water for the last 10 days, KWSB officials had not yet taken measures to rectify the fault responsible for it.
They deplored that whenever they tried to meet KWSB engineers for bringing the issue of contaminated water in their notice, they were told that they were busy in meetings.
A resident of the locality said that he had already submitted a bottle filled with contaminated water in the office of North Nazimabad’s Town. But, he added, the KWSB officials concerned were yet to respond on the issue.
KWSB LOSSES: Sindh Finance Adviser M.A. Jalil has taken serious notice of non-payment of dues of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board by SITE Association and Cantonment Board, APP adds.
Chairing a meeting of his department officials as well as Managing Director KWSB Brig Iftikhar Hyder on Wednesday, the adviser pointed out that Sindh government was paying KWSB one billion rupees every year to meet its losses.
The adviser also noted excessive billing from the KESC, which was near about Rs1.25 billion. He said that Sindh government had been paying a compensation of one billion rupees every year to the KWSB for the last three years.
He was surprised to note that water board had no record of 148 installed electric meters nor it made any effort to get these meters tested.
The adviser asked KWSB MD to depute a responsible engineer within 15 days to get these meters examined through electric inspector of Sindh government, simultaneously ensuring the actual consumption of electricity and also confirm whether KESC issues correct bills or not.
