KARACHI: Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Sunday inaugurated the Noor Mohammad Balouch Pumping Station, restoring its operations after 35 years of inactivity.

The mayor, who’s also the chairman of the Kar­achi Water and Sewerage Corporation, called the revival of the pumping station a significant milestone in improving water supply services for more than 300,000 residents of Saddar Town, Lyari Town and adjoining areas of the old city, where citizens had faced persistent water shortages for decades due to the non-operational status of the facility.

With the completion of the project, residents of Ran­chore Line, Kharadar, Mithadar, Jodia Bazaar, Bombay Bazaar, Bhimpura, SIUT, Civil Hospital, Uni­on Councils 1, 5, 6 and 7 of Saddar Town, along with several adjoining localities of the old city, will benefit from an improved and more reliable water supply system.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Mayor Wahab said that the pumping station was originally established in 1991 during the tenure of the then Mayor of Karachi Dr Farooq Sattar.

However, due to the abs­e­nce of a permanent electricity connection, the faci­­l­ity never became fully ope­r­ational and rema­i­ned inactive for decades, depri­ving residents of the surrounding localities of the improved water supply that had been promised to them.

He said that when local representatives and community leaders, including Wasim Shirazi, invited him to visit the area and review the situation first-hand, he personally inspected the pumping station and dire­cted immediate action for its revival. He added that successive administrations

had made promises regarding the facility, but the project remained incomplete despite many of those leaders later holding important public offices.

The mayor said that the provision of basic civic amenities, particularly clean drinking water, remains the foremost responsibility of local government institutions. He said the KWSC is actively working to strengthen Karachi’s water supply network, rehabilitate aging infrastructure and implement sustainable solutions to address public issues across the city.

Criticising political opponents, Barrister Wahab said some political parties have remained in positions of power for decades while claiming credit for building Karachi, yet failed to resolve fundamental issues faced by citizens.

He remarked that the people of Karachi can clearly see who is engaged in political rhetoric and who is delivering practical results on the ground. He added that when citizens reject certain political narratives through democratic means, those same elements resort to protests instead of self-accountability.

The mayor said Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari consistently directs party representatives to remain focused on solving public problems and serving citizens.

“Whenever we meet Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he tells us to keep working and continue addressing the issues faced by the people,” he said.

Barrister Wahab expressed concern over attempts to politicise key water infrastructure projects and warned that essential public services should not be compromised for political interests. He also called for greater coordination among institutions involved in infrastructure development, particularly in relation to road excavation and restoration works being carried out in different parts of the city.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by KWSC chief executive officer Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, chief operating officer engineer Asadullah Khan, chief engineer Aftab Alam Chandio and other senior officials.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026