Builders’ sit-in against KWSB causes mayhem on Sharea Faisal, other arteries

Commuters on Thursday suffered massive traffic jams on Sharea Faisal, Rashid Minhas Road, Stadium Road, Karsaz Road and their surrounding thoroughfares due to a sit-in that blocked Sharea Faisal near Awami Markaz, causing a traffic mayhem on the surrounding roads.

As a result of the sit-in, traffic police erected barricades on Sharea Faisal to divert the incoming traffic from Rashid Minhas Road and other roads. The diverted traffic caused chaos on major roads in the vicinity and commuters took hours to get out of jams.

The sit-in was staged by builders and stakeholders in the construction industry against the ban imposed on water connections for new buildings. The demonstration was led by members of the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) who protested outside an office of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and blocked Sharea Faisal.

The protesters chanted various slogans, including “Hamara rozgar mat cheehno [Don’t deprive us of our jobs]”. Abad Chairman Hussain Bakhshi said builders were forced to take to the streets as the KWSB had completely banned new water connections for multi-storey buildings. He explained that the judiciary had not imposed any restriction on water connections for up to six-storey buildings.

“Permission has been granted by the water commission constituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for six-storey buildings,” Bakhshi claimed, adding that the builders were, however, required to take permission from the water board and other authorities for new connections.

Over 500 housing projects are facing delays due to the ban, the Abad chairman said. “The water board managing director [MD] has committed contempt of court,” he remarked. According to Bakhshi, Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier promised that he would provide water to Karachi through alternative resources but it was not done. The Abad chairman lamented that the construction industry was already struggling and the ban on new water connections was exacerbating builders’ problems and had left many workers unemployed. He urged the prime minister and Sindh government to intervene and resolve the matter.

ABAD Patron-in-Chief Mohsin Shekhani said the city’s situation, which had improved since 2014, was again deteriorating. The prime minister had announced that he would construct five million houses; however, the houses that are already in the construction stage are being denied water, he added.

MNA Aftab Siddiqui and leading businessman Siraj Kassem Teli visited the camp of protesters and supported the stance of Abad. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan dissident leader Dr Farooq Sattar and MNA Alamgir Khan also joined the builders and extended their support to them.

The builders ended the protest when the KWSB gave them assurance that it would start issuing conditional permits for new water connections. KWSB MD Khalid Mahmood Sheikh met the Abad chairman and assured the builders that the water board would issue no objection certificates (NOCs) for water connections on a case-by-case basis.

Minister’s stance

Speaking to The News, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani denied any role of the government in the non-issuance of new permits for water connections. The minister maintained that it was the judicial commission on water and sanitation that had barred the permits.

“We are ready to give NOCs but the water commission does not allow,” Ghani said, adding that the KWSB was not responsible for not issuing NOCs. He claimed that the protesters were fully aware of the issue and they were playing politics.