‘Mafia behind water shortage in Defence’
For the past few weeks, phases V and VI of Defence have been facing an acute water shortage, a CBC official has said.
Because of lack of water and a huge demand in these areas, residents are forced to call in a private tanker, which deliver water at the doorstep for Rs500 or 1,000 per trip.
Recently, a five-day strike by the Karachi Water Tankers Welfare Association hit the area hard as the absence of tankers kept thousands of residents bereft of basic water for days.
Cantonment Board Clifton member Aziz Suhrawardy has said that there is an acute problem in the area. He is of the view that the practice of taking help from “illegal water tankers” is not appropriate, but the job of the water board is to provide that service to people, which it is not.
Specifically speaking about the Defence and Clifton areas, Suhrawardy says: “Collusion between power elements and corrupt staff in the water board [are] making millions of rupees and handing it over to tanker mafia is the sole reason behind water shortage in Defence and Clifton.”
He says that in 1991, Farooq Sattar, as a mayor, ordered an increase in the water supply of Defence and Clifton to nine million gallon, and the supply has not been increased since then.
“One legal hydrant is allowed for the 18 towns of Karachi. But with time it increased, as population in each town also increased in the city — providing an opportunity for illegal water tankers to flourish.”
According to an agreement of the CBC with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board in the early ‘90s, Defence and Clifton will receive a total of 14 million gallons of water. The two boards decided on nine million gallon later on.
With an increase in private tankers providing door-to-door service, “after stealing the water from Chakra Goth,” as Suhrawardy puts it, there is a further shortage. Because of which, the area got six million gallons of water one day and seven million gallon the next day last week.
For the areas with no water connection, Suhrawardy claims that they changed the pipe lines, laid down 30 years ago, in areas like Khayaban-e-Shaheen recently.
But residents have a different story to tell. They claim to receive less water, and if given a chance they will take the services of private tankers.
CBC member Suhrawardy, however, says that hydrants need to be closed down except if provided by water board itself.
“People who need to take action are procrastinating which is going to have adverse affects in the future as we need not to bow down to the tanker mafia at all.”
Because of lack of water and a huge demand in these areas, residents are forced to call in a private tanker, which deliver water at the doorstep for Rs500 or 1,000 per trip.
Recently, a five-day strike by the Karachi Water Tankers Welfare Association hit the area hard as the absence of tankers kept thousands of residents bereft of basic water for days.
Cantonment Board Clifton member Aziz Suhrawardy has said that there is an acute problem in the area. He is of the view that the practice of taking help from “illegal water tankers” is not appropriate, but the job of the water board is to provide that service to people, which it is not.
Specifically speaking about the Defence and Clifton areas, Suhrawardy says: “Collusion between power elements and corrupt staff in the water board [are] making millions of rupees and handing it over to tanker mafia is the sole reason behind water shortage in Defence and Clifton.”
He says that in 1991, Farooq Sattar, as a mayor, ordered an increase in the water supply of Defence and Clifton to nine million gallon, and the supply has not been increased since then.
“One legal hydrant is allowed for the 18 towns of Karachi. But with time it increased, as population in each town also increased in the city — providing an opportunity for illegal water tankers to flourish.”
According to an agreement of the CBC with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board in the early ‘90s, Defence and Clifton will receive a total of 14 million gallons of water. The two boards decided on nine million gallon later on.
With an increase in private tankers providing door-to-door service, “after stealing the water from Chakra Goth,” as Suhrawardy puts it, there is a further shortage. Because of which, the area got six million gallons of water one day and seven million gallon the next day last week.
For the areas with no water connection, Suhrawardy claims that they changed the pipe lines, laid down 30 years ago, in areas like Khayaban-e-Shaheen recently.
But residents have a different story to tell. They claim to receive less water, and if given a chance they will take the services of private tankers.
CBC member Suhrawardy, however, says that hydrants need to be closed down except if provided by water board itself.
“People who need to take action are procrastinating which is going to have adverse affects in the future as we need not to bow down to the tanker mafia at all.”
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