• MQM-P threatens protest against tariff increase
• New rates are applicable with effect from July 1
• Board approves water utility’s Rs46.2bn budget for 2024-25, says CEO

KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has increased the charges of water supply and sewerage services by 23 per cent (nine per cent for water supply and 14pc for sewerage services), triggering resentment among people already reeling from skyrocketing price hike.

The decision to this effect was taken at the fifth meeting of the KWSC Board, presided over by Karachi Mayor and board chairman Barrister Murtaza Wahab earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan raised its voice against the hike in KWSC tariff after people expressed their dismay on social media platforms over the silence of the opposition parties and civil rights campaigners on the issue.

Speaking to Dawn, residents said that there was no justification of increasing water and sewerage charges because the water utility had completely failed to ensure smooth water supply and sewage drainage.

Mayor defends tariff hike

Responding to Dawn queries, the mayor said that the increase in the water and sewerage tariff was “inevitable” to improve the financial position and services of the KWSC.

“The increase in the tariff of water and sewerage is permissible annually in relation with the inflation,” he said.

Barrister Wahab said that the water utility had to increase its revenue and recovery for improving its infrastructure and services.

Earlier the water utility increased the both water and sewerage charges by nine per cent every year. This year, however, sewerage tariff was increased by 14pc instead of nine per cent.

KWSC chief executive officer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed said that the new tariff would be applicable with effect from July 1.

Defending the rise in charges, he said that the water utility was empowered to enhance the tariff of its services in accordance with the yearly inflation rate under the KWSC Act, 2023.

The water utility chief said that a consultant had been hired to conduct a study for the increase in services charges in view of the inflation, which had proposed an increase of up to 75pc in the tariff of both water and sewerage services.

“The increase in tariff is just one-third of that was proposed by the consultant,” he claimed.

Mr Ahmed said that the tariff of sewerage service was increased more as more funds were required for the improvement of infrastructure and treatment of sewage.

He said that the KWSC board had discussed nine-point agenda in the meeting, including the approval of the minutes of the board’s fourth meeting.

The water utility chief said that the board also gave approval for the Rs46.259 billion annual budget of the water utility for the financial year 2024-2025.

The board also approved amendments to the Water Corporation Regulations 2024 on its use and management including extraction of subsoil water, formation of a committee for additional 65 MGD water supply.

The board also approved promotion of Grade-19 officers Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah, Ahmed Rajput, Muhammad Akram Baloch, Jameel Ansari and Saifuddin Awan to Grade-20.

During the meeting, the board members expressed their “determination” to ensure provision of efficient services to the people of Karachi.

It was decided that performance of the management would be monitored regularly.

The meeting participants emphasised the need for further increasing the revenue of the KWSC.

Opposition leader rejects decision

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Ali Khurshidi of the MQM-P rejected the KWSC board’s decision to increase the water and sewerage services charges and said that his party would protest against the increase at all forums, including assemblies.

He criticised the mayor for the rise in tariff and asked him to refrain from putting burden on the already heavy taxed people of the city.

He said that the MQM-P would protest at all levels, including assemblies, if the water and sewerage tariff was increased.

The MQM-P leader said that the KWSC’s underground water supply and sewerage infrastructure was laid four decades ago and it had now destroyed.

“In most parts of the city, there is no water supply and sewage drainage,” he said, deploring that residents submitted their bills regularly, still no water ran in the taps.

Mr Khurshidi said that the mayor was shifting the financial burden of the civic institutions on people of the city instead of demanding a provincial finance commission from his own provincial government.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024