‘Understand case of Colorado River to solve Indus River issue’

In one of the sessions on the concluding day of the Sixth International Conference on Karachi, a researcher stressed the importance of understanding the case of the Colorado River if Pakistan wants to solve the issue of the Indus River.

During the ‘Water, Sanitation and Public Health’ session, chaired by Mansoor Raza at the Institute of Business Administration’s City Campus on Sunday, speakers raised different questions about the city’s current water situation, especially its distribution, as many people still do not have access to potable water.

Presenting her paper titled ‘Evolution of Water Institutions in the Indus River Basin’, researcher Dr Erum Sattar spoke about the similarities between the Colorado River Basin and the Indus River Basin owing to the similarities between the two, especially in terms of water shortage and the people’s dependence on them.

Given that agriculture is one of the largest sectors in the country that heavily relies on water sources, the dangers being posed to the waters must be dealt with due consideration, she stressed.

“Apart from over-allocation, there is unsustainable groundwater pumping alongside waterlogging and salinity. Add the silting of reservoirs to this, and the problem of water distribution will get quadrupled.”

Dr Erum explained that the relevant organisations need to understand the case of the Colorado River because many bodies had come together to discuss the problem and were able to reach a consensus despite other states not necessarily agreeing with the decisions, just like it happens in Sindh and Punjab.  

‘KWSB needs overhaul’

Mohsin Raza, a unionist representing the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB), presented his paper titled ‘The Role of KWSB: Karachi’s Water & Sewerage Problems’. As a documentary was screened on the purpose of the water board, he lamented that the actual situation is the opposite.

“The KWSB needs an overhaul, but not in the form of privatisation, rather with the allocation of funds and the replacement of decades-old sewerage lines in the city so that consumers understand the system.”

He said that many consumers do not pay the hundreds charged monthly but would pay thousands for a few gallons because they feel the KWSB is not competent. “I don’t claim that the body is perfect, but how will we sustain each month when our expenses exceed the returns?”

Raza said he is worried about the next year because the Sindh government will not pay them the subsidy it was paying earlier, which will create a crisis because the KWSB already owes the K-Electric. He also mentioned that the filter plants are also in a dilapidated shape, and that only chlorination is taking place at a few.

He lamented that the recent census results are worrisome because it shows Karachi’s population lesser than it actually is. “The last time the allocation was increased was in 1988, and it has been three decades but the state hasn’t done anything with regard to water distribution.”  

Water education at schools

Urban planner and architect Noman Ahmed’s paper was titled ‘Institutional Reforms in the Water Supply Arrangements in Karachi’. He said that when government institutions fail to deliver, people have no choice but to go to court, and the course of action changes once the matter is in court.

“Judicial commissions have been formed since December 2016, and many findings have also been made public, but a lot more needs to be done, especially with regard to the water quota allocated for Karachi.”

Ahmed stressed that water tankers are supposed to be used during crises or emergencies, but now water hydrants have emerged as a full-fledged enterprise in the city and consumers hire their services when there is frequent water shortage.

He also said the KWSB is supposed to build its own power generation units to get rid of the KE’s electricity bills, but that step is yet to be taken. He mentioned that water education must be introduced in schools so that students can learn about the measures for conserving it.