KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) is neither consulted before approval of any project (with water needs) nor it receives charges from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the cantonment boards to develop infrastructure for water supplies.

Both of these authorities have allowed massive residential-cum-commercial construction in their jurisdictions.

The city has received no additional supply since 2006 and it currently faces a shortage of 430 million gallons of water per day (MGD).

These points were raised at a seminar organised by Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment at a hotel here on Friday.

Titled ‘Water Issue in Karachi’, the programme was attended by a large number of people that included residents of water-stressed areas, social workers and representatives of tanker association.

Highlighting city’s water woes, speakers stated that the civic crisis Karachi currently experiencing would likely to go worse in coming years as the planning required to ensure water supplies and meet sewerage needs of new projects wasn’t being made.

“Everyone knows that how Karachi is expanding. Its rapid vertical and horizontal growth as well as increasing number of kachi abadis is a major challenge. All this is happening without KWSB’s consultation,” said Mr Khurram representing the KWSB.

The KWSB was hapless to meet city’s growing water needs when the department wasn’t part of the approval process of any project. And, while the majority was not willing to pay bills, people had encroached water and sewerage trunk mains and stealing water, the board had no magisterial powers to fine them, he explained.

“In addition, there are exorbitant bills of K-Electric, which charges us on commercial rates,” he said.

KWSB managing director Misbahuddin Farid said studies had shown that the city needed an additional 150MGD after every three years to meet needs of its growing population.

Replying to a question over delay in the start of K-4 project conceived in 2007, he said Karachi couldn’t get new water quota after the completion of the K-3 project.

On the question of whether the department could improve its efficiency, he said it could neither lay off its employees like the K-Electric nor had other powers the private utility enjoyed.

“I have written two dozen letters to the military authorities over the charges they need to pay to the KWSB to develop infrastructure for water supplies to the new housing schemes coming up in cantonment areas, but haven’t received replies.”

The board, he said, had improved its valve operation and set up a laboratory at the Keenjhar lake to monitor water quality at source.

Earlier, Pervez Sadiq and Amber Alibhai gave presentations on the city’s water issue.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2016