Water in Karachi

Karachi requires 1,000 million gallons of water every day but it has a system that, even in the best case scenario, can carry only half of that quantity. This water scarcity is a failure at the government’s end but do we realise how much responsibility of this water shortage goes to us? According to a report, in 2013 water pilferage for the agriculture usage was about five percent of the total water flowing through the KWSB system that carries water from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi. Farmers have installed diesel engines to draw water from canals.
In the recent past, water pilferage became so huge that the Rangers had to be deployed to spot theft but still it did not prove to be a permanent solution. Farmers resume their water pumping operations as soon as law-enforcement agencies leave their areas. Owners of illegal hydrants buy a house near the KWSB’s main pipeline, drill the ground to reach the pipeline and connect it to their own network of pipes to sell water to people. There are many people who cannot afford these services every month but they have to use them because of the unavailability of water supply by the water board Karachi. The authorities concerned should take action to resolve this issue.
Nimra Zaheer
Karachi