IN large parts of Karachi, there is no water to be had. The taps have run dry for the past 12 days, bowsers have been difficult to get hold of, and the city’s water utility is nowhere to be seen. Desperate residents have found themselves forced to shell out exorbitant sums to what is often described as the ‘tanker mafia’ operating in the city. Securing a booking amidst the intense demand for tankers has been another ordeal altogether. The crisis began when a two-metre-wide supply line running through Karachi University ruptured, flooding a large part of the campus and causing ‘millions’ in losses, according to varsity officials. The KWSC, despite initially promising to resume supply within days, was unable to do so, and the crisis persisted. Irate residents from many parts of the city staged protests and blocked traffic, and the matter was eventually brought up in the Sindh Assembly. Unfortunately, no material good came from any of it.

Water shortages have accompanied the onset of summer almost every year, yet the city’s authorities seem to have nothing to show for what is being done to secure Karachi’s water requirements. Indeed, with most of the city’s water infrastructure laid down decades ago and never properly maintained or upgraded as the city grew, the water situation seems to be growing progressively worse with each passing year. Meanwhile, the KWSC has seemed, at best, technically inept. It is also deficient in resources needed to adequately handle a megacity’s water needs. Nor does the city’s problems seem to feature on the provincial government’s agenda. Karachi has been in shambles for the past many years, and profiteers have gradually taken over the provision of bare necessities to its residents. Criticism of both the KWSC and the Sindh government for their negligence in this regard is quite justified. It should not be ignored. Karachi needs a comprehensive action plan for its many issues.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2025