June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

KARACHI, June 19: The Malir town administration has ordered the installation of a three-inch-diameter water connection directly from a ‘water boosting station’, which is only supposed to supply water in bulk to various pumping stations.

Although the entire locality has been in the grip of an acute water shortage for quite some time, the town administration has taken the step reportedly to appease some influential people residing in a nearby lane.

According to sources, those influential people had approached the town officials complaining of water shortage. The town officials instead of allowing them a connection from the main supply line of the area, issued orders for a connection directly from the Saudabad Water Boosting Station.

Earlier, the connection had been planned for a ‘single house’ only and then the case of an entire lane was taken into consideration and hence work started on laying of the required diameter pipeline ignoring the fact that any new connection could not be granted directly from a pumping station but only from the main line where proper valve operation system existed so that the water supply could be controlled as and when required. Such rules have been devised so as not to disturb supply schedule of other areas and particularly the tail-enders.

A relevant KWSB official, who requested not to be named, said that he had nothing in writing regarding the water connection. “We are simply acting as silent spectators, it is the town administration that is actively carrying out the entire operation,” he said.An official at the pumping station claimed that Malir water supply quota had been reduced to such an extent that people have had started cursing them, and were holding protest demonstrations. They were even holding protest demonstrations in front of the boosting station and accusing us of selling water, he said.

On Sunday and Thursday, labourers were seen busy in the digging work and laying of a water line during off-duty timings under the supervision of an official of the KWSB, and the pipe was to be connected to a six inches diameter pipeline originating from the pumping station.

The labourers also ruled out installation of any valve so that it could be operated as and when required at a time when other areas of Malir continued to face water shortage.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has curtailed water quota of Malir Town from Pipri from 5.6mgd to 1.8mgd, causing a shortfall of 3.8mgd.

Area people expressed their concern over the provision of what they called ‘an illegal water connection’ of three inches diameter and that too by the town authorities at the cost of residents of other localities at a time when there was already a water shortage in Khokhrapar, Pak Kausar Town, Saudia Colony, H, G Areas of Khokhrapar, and the H and G Areas of Liaquat Market.

Inquires by Dawn revealed that it would be the first-ever such water connection from the water boosting station where no valve had been installed and supply would remain in the pipeline 24 hours because other areas were supplied water according to an approved water schedule after water was accumulated in the pumping station’s underground tanks.

An area resident said that it was an open violation of the prescribed rules and regulations.

It is worth noting that the water boosting station, which supplies water to four pumping stations, is already facing a water shortage owing to a scant supply from the Pipri source.

— Zaheer Ahmed Khan