KARACHI, June 3: The long-awaited decision of making hydrants in the city ‘town-specific’ is now expected to be implemented on June 15, it is learnt.

The decision was originally to be implemented in January/February but a delay of almost 18 months has been caused and the factors involved appeared to be selection of sites for new hydrants, installation of filling points, reluctance on the part of some town nazims over control of the hydrants, etc.

Although the plan has apparently been finalised, sources in the KWSB have termed the timing for the implementation of the decision ‘ill-advised’, pointing out that summer would be at its peak and so would be the water demand. They apprehended that the ‘tanker mafia’ which always did a roaring business, would hinder the smooth functioning of the hydrants in order to frustrate the KWSB’s efforts to overcome a possible water crisis.

With the opening of the town-specific hydrants, the Rangers would hand over the seven KWSB hydrants, currently under their control, to the Board. Subsequently, the KWSB will give the hydrants under the control of their respective towns.

Highlighting merits of the Board’s move, the sources said that movement of the tankers registered with a hydrant in a town would be restricted to that particular town. The tankers would be allotted a distinguishing colour and this would make it easy to check any violation in this regard.

The sources recalled that the idea of operating town-specific hydrant was floated when President Pervez Musharraf took a serious notice of the tanker mafia’s highhandedness and asked City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal to get the city rid of it. The city government was, at that time desperately struggling to get the K-III project commissioned to ensure supply of 100 million gallons per day (mgd) additional water to the city. He idea came up under discussion at a number of subsequent meetings between the top KWSB officials and Rangers officers.

It was decided that as soon as the hydrants were made functional, the Rangers would hand over the KWSB hydrants to the Board.

Though the setting up of town-specific hydrants has entered its final stage of completion, some of the KWSB hydrants, located in residential areas and being managed by the Rangers, are being retained by the town nazims concerned. These hydrants would continue to operate at same place instead of being shifted to the outskirts of the respective towns.

The existence of these hydrants in the residential areas of Muslimabad, Federal B Area and Sakhi Hassan has not only become a permanent nuisance as the water tankers shuttling between the hydrants and their destinations quite frequently day and night cause destruction of road, accidents and breach of privacy of those living around the hydrants.