KWSB demands security for drives against encroachments, water theft

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has written a letter to the additional inspector general of the Sindh Police to provide security during all anti-encroachment and anti-theft drives.

In the letter written on Friday, KWSB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed demanded foolproof security from the Sindh Police for its operations against water theft and encroachments on private and state-owned lands. The CEO has also written letters to the other relevant security agencies.

On March 17, 2017, the Supreme Court (SC) had issued orders regarding operations against land grabbers and unauthorised or illegal hydrants of sweet and salty subsoil water in Karachi, adding that the managing director of the KWSB and the SSP and the SHO of the area were made responsible for eradicating the menace of illegal hydrants. In case of discovery of an illegal hydrant, cases would be registered against them instead of some unknown miscreants, according to the orders.

In light of the directions issued by the SC, Ahmed said Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who is also the chairman of the KWSB, had instructed the water board management to take action against land grabbers who had been involved in plundering the KWSB land and stealing water. He had also ordered taking action against illegal hydrants.

“Understandably, the KWSB’s actions against influential and tactful mafias/land grabbers cannot yield desired results without adequate security support and protection on the backend,” the letter said. “Hence, the backing of the Sindh Police is indispensable on a permanent basis for this prime job, so that its presence and participation in operation against wrongdoers be ensured.”

There were only eight legal hydrants in the city, under a well-monitored computerised system evolved in compliance with the orders and instructions of the SC and then Water Commission constituted by it, the letter said.

The CEO, in the letter, requested the Sindh Police to provide security as soon as possible to support the KWSB officials in operations against water thieves and land grabbers.