THERE have been several incidents of water pipeline rupture in the recent past, the most recent being the burst near Karachi University staff colony that created yet another water shortage in the city. The water pipelines have burst three times in the last four months for one reason or another. Intriguingly, all these incidents took place in the same vicinity.

Several Gulshan-i-Iqbal blocks still face water shortages, not to mention the havoc these ruptures create on the roads, adding to the misery of the commuters who already struggle through traffic every day owing to the never-ending Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project. The residents of the area naturally have no option. but to purchase water through water tanker mafia. Indeed, there is a flourishing hydrant in the heart of Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) does the repair work, but it lasts only a few days. This is exacerbating the situation, for the KWSC does not supply piped water regularly even during normal days when there is no pipeline rupture. While the relevant government authorities have asked the KWSC to ensure there are no leakages and bursting of the water pipelines to end the water supply shortfall, the KWSC seems to have turned a deaf ear to such directives.

Why are there so many water pipeline ruptures every now and then, and how the water tanker mafia is able to get water at the hydrant? There surely is a team of unscrupulous elements at work. To prove that there is no foul play, the authorities must eliminate the water tanker mafia.

Himayat Hussain
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2025