KARACHI: The Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) on Tuesday informed the Sindh High Court that it had asked the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to ensure provision of allocated quota of nine million gallons of water daily to it.

The CBC submitted that currently it was receiving an average of 4.6MGD and requested the KWSB to supply 9MGD as agreed between the utility and the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi took up a set of petitions filed by residents against additional levy and inadequate facility of potable water in DHA and Clifton, the counsel for DHA and CBC sought time to file comments.

However, the lawyer for CBC submitted a copy of the letter sent to the KWSB chief asking for supply of agreed quota of 9MGD.

The letter stated that the CBC had enhanced the pumping capacity and already capable to pump bulk supply by 12MGD in normal condition, and requested KWSB to ensure allocated quantity of water so that the residents of CBC and DHA might not suffer from the acute shortage of water.

The CBC also produced details of water bowsers being provided to one of the petitioners in compliance with an earlier court order.

Former attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan, who is one of the petitioners, filed a bill of Rs9,000 issued by the CBC and DHA claiming service charges for supply of water through bowser.

The bench adjourned the hearing till April 11, and restrained the CBC and DHA from claiming any water supply charges from Mr Khan till the next date.

Around 95 residents of DHA and CBC filed three petitions in the SHC stating that they had been paying annual water levy, but the respondents had failed to provide adequate facility of water to them and charging additional amount against each water bowser.

They submitted that they had regularly been paying requisite taxes, including the annual water tax and were entitled to be granted utility of water, but sufficient water was not being provided despite receiving additional charges.

The petitioners pleaded to declare the additional charges against each water bowser as illegal and unlawful as well as contemptuous of the apex court orders, and sought restraining order against levying and collecting additional charges for supply of tankers.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2022