Quetta’s water woes in the spotlight at Balochistan High Court hearing
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• Bench orders immediate action to address the crisis
• Terms deprivation of basic necessity a serious act of administrative negligence
QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) has expressed strong disappointment over the severe shortage of drinking water in Hazara Town and surrounding areas of Quetta, terming the deprivation of such a basic necessity a serious act of administrative negligence that cannot be tolerated.
A two-judge BHC bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail and Justice Gul Hassan Tareen, heard a petition filed by Qurban Ali, a resident of Quetta. The court ordered immediate action from Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa), the Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) officials to address the crisis.
During the hearing, the court observed that residents of Hazara Town were facing extreme difficulties due to a lack of coordination between departments and delays in projects caused by funding shortages.
PHE Secretary Hashim Ghilzai and Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Gul informed the court that some reservoirs and tube-wells remain incomplete due to a lack of funds. They said that about 700,000 gallons of water are currently being supplied to Hazara Town — originally planned for only 260 homes but now stretched to serve 3,200 residential units. They added that, with support from the World Bank, 40 new tube-wells have been proposed and approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
The court was informed that Rs20 billion had been allocated under the current Public Sector Development Programme, including Rs400 million specifically for the 40 new tube-wells in suburban Quetta. However, work remains incomplete due to delays in fund disbursement.
Wasa Executive Engineer Waseem Uddin said that dozens of tube-wells have been completed in different areas, but many projects are delayed due to Qesco’s inaction and ongoing financial constraints. Of the nine tube-wells in Kharkhsa, all are operational, yet the Hazara Town water crisis remains only 40 per cent resolved.
Residents of Hazara Town, appearing before the court, refuted the claims made by Wasa and PHE, alleging that a private water supply mafia is illegally selling water through Wasa pipelines. They claimed that citizens are being charged Rs30,000-40,000 for illegal connections and monthly fees of Rs2,500-3,000.
The court strongly condemned this situation, terming Wasa’s delegation of water supply to private contractors illegal and unjust. The Wasa managing director was ordered to immediately cancel all such illegal contracts and ensure direct water supply through Wasa’s own resources.
The court also directed the PHE secretary to coordinate with the additional chief secretary (development) and the finance secretary to ensure urgent release of funds. It further ordered a meeting with the Qesco CEO to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply to all completed tube-wells.
The court instructed the departments concerned to prepare a comprehensive plan for the construction of underground water reservoirs and overhead tanks, and to submit proposals for solarisation of water supply schemes.
Justice Mulakhail observed: “Provision of drinking water is a fundamental government responsibility. Any negligence in this matter will not be tolerated. Leaving citizens at the mercy of private mafias is injustice and a violation of law.”
The court ordered the additional chief secretary, finance secretary, Qesco, Wasa, PHE and other relevant authorities to submit a progress report by Nov 6.
Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2025
