‘Bilawal has warned Sindh govt to resolve Karachi’s water crisis’

Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the Sindh government had been warned by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to resolve the water crisis in Karachi.

The local government minister disclosed the information to this effect on Wednesday as he toured the Hub pumping station and treatment plant along with PPP elected representatives of the city and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing director.

According to a statement issued, Shah said it was the foremost priority of the Sindh government to ensure water supply to the residents of Karachi. He said they had asked the KWSB administration to take stern action against instances of water pilferage in the city and judicially distribute water resources among the residents of Karachi. He said the KWSB had been tasked with taking action to remove illegal water connections.

He said that the government was under obligation to ensure water supply to the residents of District West in the city. The local government minister said that except legally authorised seven water supply hydrants in Karachi, he wanted action against the rest of the hydrants. He said Karachi had been receiving water less than its need as in this regard, work had been started to build new water supply projects in the city on the directives of the PPP Chairman.

Shah issued directives to constitute a coordination committee comprising officials of the KWSB and elected representatives of District West to ensure water supply to the residents of the district.

He also visited a pumping station of the KWSB on the Northern Bypass. PPP MNA Shahida Rahmani briefed the local government minister that the pumping station once provided water to 30 goths in the suburbs of Karachi.

She said the pumping station that had been built as development project of the District Council Karachi had been dysfunctional since long. She said the same installation was now being used to steal water for water tankers.

The local government minister asked the KWSB chief to immediately deploy staff of the water utility at the pumping station and ensure police patrol to stop water theft. He asked KWSB officials to impound all the water tankers visiting the pumping station to steal water and lodge criminal cases against them.