KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Tuesday that he had taken some tangible measures to improve the overall water supply in the bulk and distribution system.

“I have taken short-term and long-term measures, including replacement of the pumping station/motors installed in 1958, and since then despite many governments came but nobody paid any attention to the water board,” he said and added that the state of affairs of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board needed “major overhauling” and the government was trying to make it a viable organisation.

He stated this during a meeting with a four-member parliamentary delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf who called on him at CM House. The delegation, led by PTI parliamentary party leader Samar Ali Khan with Khurram Sherzaman, Hafeezuddin and Dr Seema Zia as its members, drew his attention towards the water crisis in the city and presented him some suggestions in writing. They said if implemented, the suggestions could help provide relief to the people.

They are: initiate work on the 65mgd project and finish it before May 2016; shut down illegal water hydrants, specially at the Hub Dam; give top priority to the K-4 project; allocate special funds to upgrade pumping stations; generate a system or set up a committee to monitor funding to the KWSB, implement biometric attendance system at the KWSB offices and shift all legal hydrants to Dhabeji to save water.

The PTI MPAs also urged the chief minister to allocate development schemes in their constituencies in the coming budget.

The chief minister, who was assisted during the meeting by Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, MPA Nawaz Chandio, Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi, said that he was carrying out development works in Karachi without any discrimination. “I have ordered a Rs100 million scheme of water supply/pumping station for the Metroville area. This scheme has been completed though the PPP had not won the election in that constituency and the PTI had returned there. This is a good example of our commitment to the people of Karachi,” he said and added that his government gave top priority to the development of social sector and that’s why in the next annual development programme special focus had been made on development works.

He also assured the delegation that their suggestions for development schemes in their constituencies would be considered favourably.

Regarding the water crisis, the chief minister said he was in constant touch with Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon to guide him to improve revenue of the KWSB by making the billing system more effective and reducing its non-development expenditures. “At present, the KWSB makes billing of Rs700 million, of which only Rs400 million is recovered. Out of the Rs400 million, Rs300 million goes into payment of salaries and Rs100 million into small maintenance and repair works. Its electricity bills are paid by the Sindh government. In such a situation, the KWSB needed major overhauling and our government is engaged in making it a viable organisation,” he said.

Earlier, the PTI delegation thanked the chief minister for welcoming the PTI-MPAs back to the Sindh Assembly. “It was your grace that you welcomed us when we decided to return to the assembly,” they said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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