KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has decided to register all the tankers getting water from six official hydrants in the city, it emerged on Friday.

Informed sources told Dawn that the decision was taken following reports of supply of unhealthy and contaminated water through tankers in the city.

They said that only the registered water tankers would be provided with the water by the hydrant management, while unregistered tankers would be impounded.

Besides, the sources said, digital screening of all registered tankers would be conducted and trackers would be installed in the enlisted water carriers to monitor their movements.

They said that the registered water tankers would be given stickers to be pasted on their vehicles so that consumers could verify that the water was brought from official hydrants.

They added that route permits would also be issued to the tankers to supply water in specific areas.

The sources shared that KWSB Chief Executive Officer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed had recently taken action on reports of supply of unhealthy water through tankers.

He wrote a letter to Inspector General of Sindh Police Ghulam Nabi Memon asking him to take action against the illegal supply.

He already had summoned a meeting of all officers in charge of the six hydrants and water tankers’ contractors to set up a digital network for the supply.

He asked the provincial police chief to order immediate and strict action against the “mafia selling water not fit for human consumption”.

According to the letter, the contaminated rainwater accumulated in ponds and puddles on the outskirts of the city and in parts of Balochistan was being illegally supplied through water tankers.

Such tankers mostly enter the city from the remits of Manghopir, Moachko, Gulshan-i-Maymar, Dhabeji and Gharo.

The water utility chief said that the health of people, mainly elders, was at risk due to supply of unhygienic water to the city through tankers, and feared that there might be an increase in waterborne diseases, including dengue and naegleria.

He said that the water mafia would not be spared under any circumstances and every possible effort would be made to stop this illegal practice that had posed serious dangers to human health.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2022