Govt finally wakes up to city’s water crisis

Karachi
The provincial government has released Rs120 million to buy new electric cables for five major water pumping stations of Karachi, the chief minister said on Saturday.
Qaim Ali Shah was presiding over a meeting with Karachi Water and Sewerage Board officials at the Chief Minister’s House.
Shah pointed out that he had also released Rs180 million earlier for the provision of free water through tanker trucks in the worst-affected areas of the city. KWSB managing director Hashim Raza Zaidi told the chief minister that the funds released for the free water tanker trucks service were being utilised properly.
He added that funds had been released for 1,000 tanker trucks daily but as the water supply had improved considerably, the demand had reduced to 700 trucks only.
Zaidi said the local government minister had formed committees headed by deputy commissioners who in consultation with the elected representatives of the areas and civil society members were sending free water tanker trucks in the areas where they were needed most.
These areas, he added, included Baldia, Orangi, Metroville, Surjani , New Karachi, Najam Alam, Lyari, Keamari, Sikandarabad, Mowach Goth and Grax
Karachi commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui told Shah that he was monitoring the system. “Besides, the water tanker trucks service is also being provided to mosques, public tanks and stadium tanks, from where people take it away to their homes,” he added.
Zaidi said the electric cables of the KWSB’s five major pumping stations at Dhabeji were around 45 years old and needed to be replaced at a cost of Rs120 million.
The chief minister ordered chief secretary Siddique Memon to release the funds immediately.
Zaidi pointed out that the water supply to the city had improved considerably. “We have repaired all pumping stations and the K-Electric is cooperating with us by not subjecting them to power outages,” he noted.
“Other areas are being covered through the free water tanker trucks. We have also come up with a valve system and providing water on a rotational basis.”
The chief minister appealed to political parties to keep politics out of the water issue so that the officers concerned could concentrate on solving the problem.
On the directives of the chief minister, the water board chief appointed E&M chief engineer Noor Ahmed as the focal person for controlling the Naegleria fowleri outbreak and proper chlorination of water.