A FEW months ago the water supply at my residence was switched off by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) for no known reason.

I lodged a complaint through the online system, but did not receive so much as an acknowledgement let alone any follow-up or resolution.

A friend then put me in touch with an official at KWSB who said a new line was being put in place and the work on it would be completed soon. I kept waiting and am still waiting, but There has been no progress since then.

The official, however, was kind enough to send a few tankers of water to my residence at the time. When I could no longer reach him, I had to resort to commercial tankers. The monthly KWSB bill, of course, continues to be delivered at my place and I continue to pay it.

My immediate neighbours have had a regular supply of water all along and, despite my several attempts, I have been unable to find out why the line to my residence was disconnected or to obtain any concrete information about when it may be restored.

In this day and age, when even the most opaque organisations in the world have found a way to respond to customers online, KWSB is still stuck in an era where unless you know a politician who can exert pressure on the management, you have no option but to pay for your water twice over.

Naween Mangi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2021