June 16, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1429

KARACHI, June 15: The KWSB authorities in a major reshuffle have transferred and posted several senior officials, besides terminating the services of nine officials who were working on a contract basis.

KWSB Managing Director Suleman Chandio gave an additional charge of projects to Deputy Managing Director (technical services) Ali Mohammad Palejo, whereas the officer in charge (land and estate), Fareed Soomro, has been posted as the deputy managing director (planning and development).

Mr Palejo would be responsible for monitoring and supervising all the water and sewerage projects, said a spokesman for the utility.

KWSB chief engineer (Zone-II) Najme Alam Siddiqui has been replaced by Malir Town superintending engineer Abdul Rahim Khatti.

Mr Siddiqui has been asked to report to the chief administrative officer for posting.

Besides, Water Trunk Mains (WTM) superintending engineer Anwar Saeed has been posted as Malir Town superintending engineer. Bulk Water Supply’s SE Iftikhar Ahmed has been transferred and posted as WTM superintending engineer. Ali Zafar Palejo has been given additional charge of bulk water supply. Imtiaz Ahmed Magsi and Mohammad Ayub Sheikh have been posted as deputy manager (projects).

The spokesman said the managing director on the competent authority’s orders terminated the services of nine officials, who were working on a contract basis.

The officials whose services have been terminated include chief security officer retired major Rehmatullah, security officer retired major Mohammad Nawaz Gondal, personal secretary to the managing director Babu Khan, executive engineer Laeeq Hassan, estimator Imtiaz Ahmed Farooqui, foremen Abdul Saeed Khan and Mohammad Naseem, executive engineer Mehdi Hassan and sub-engineer Mohammad Dawood.

Meanwhile, KWSB Managing Director Suleman Chandio, accompanied by DMD (technical services) Ali Mohammad Palejo and Project Manager Misbahuddin Fareed, visited Dhabeji and Gharo pumping stations on Saturday.

The officials manning the pumping stations were instructed to ensure that the pumps function round the clock and in case of any fault in any pump alternative arrangements be made on war-footing basis.

The MD asked the engineers to improve water distribution system to ensure equitable distribution of water in every nook and corner of the city and told the officials to attend to the complaints of water shortage on priority.

He told them that Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani had ordered that there must not be any complaint concerning water scarcity in any part of the city in the current hot and humid weather.

Water shortage

On Sunday, the city suffered a shortfall of over 10 million gallons of water in the wake of non-availability of electricity at Gharo and North-East Karachi (old) pumping stations.

Sources in the KWSB said that power supply at Gharo pumping station and the NEK (old) pumping station was suspended from 8.25am to 9.55am and from 8.05am to 9.45am, respectively.

Due to the power outages Korangi, Landhi, North Karachi and different blocks of Gulshan-i-Iqbal would face water shortage on Monday, they added.