KARACHI, July 11: Different inspection teams of Rangers on Monday blacklisted 18 tankers and imposed heavy fines on a number of others for their involvement in malpractices. According to a press release issued here on Monday, Rangers inspection teams, comprising troops, made surprise visits of different parts of the city and blacklisted all those tankers found involved in malpractices.

Besides, contractors and owners of water tankers were heavily fined and warned that their contact would be cancelled and tankers blacklisted if any complaint was received against them in future.

The release said the tankers which have been blacklisted include RIN-1185, GLT-8275, TTA-110, JP-0108, LSA-1265, PRJ-210, JP-2402, LSA-1542, JT-2402, LSA-452, JP-0271, LSB-641, LS-4099, LSB-5028, JP-1245, QA-5976, SI-191 and JP-6049.

The Rangers have requested the general public to immediately inform the authorities about any irregularities on the telephone numbers mentioned on the rear side of tankers or on the following complaint numbers of different hydrants.

Muslimabad hydrant (9230223, 9230383, 9231295, 9232075 and 9232076); LSR (9231465 and 9232093); Sakhi Hassan (6949261); Jamia Millia (9248946 and 4594607); North-East Karachi (4902625); Shah Faisal (9248945) and Federal B’ Area (6363606).

In addition to above complain numbers, 10 more telephones are being be installed for the convenience of general public, the release added.

At a recently held meeting, Rangers chalked out a comprehensive plan to deal with the situation which arose after the closure of LSR hydrant.

“A high-level meeting held at the rangers headquarters to look into the complicated affair of water distribution, particularly after the closure of the LSR hydrant, chalked out a comprehensive plan to deal with the situation and come up to the expectations of general public,” said a press release.

Giving details of the meeting, a senior official of the Rangers said after the closure of the LSR hydrant, the affected areas of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Airport were being supplied water from NEK, Muslimabad, Jamia Millia, Sakhi Hassan, Federal B’ Area and Shah Faisal hydrants.

The Rangers’ director-general instructed the under command to ensure smooth supply of drinking water to general public at all costs.

The press release further said water supply to general public is the basic responsibility of the KWSB as out of 542 million gallons of water, Rangers are distributing 12mgd which comes to about only 2 per cent of the total quantity of water available for the city from eight hydrants whereas the remaining 530mgd was being supplied by the KWSB. The meeting decided that teams of Rangers would conduct surprise checks over water supply system and would report against the defaulters and the tankers indulging in malpractices will be immediately black-listed, the release said.