Disconnecting water connections: Industrialists, hotel owners complain against KW&SB

KARACHI: Industrialists and hotel owners have complained to CM Sindh against the officials of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's (KW&SB) Anti-Theft Cell for disconnecting their legal water connections needlessly.

The Karachi's business community has said that due to the illegal actions of KWSB's 'special cell' they are facing hardships in running their businesses. In written submissions, Korangi Association of Trade and Industries (KATI), Pakistan Hotels Developers Association (PHDA) and others protested to the Chief Minister Sindh, Chief Secretary, Minister Local Government and others against the 'illegal' action of KW&SB’s Anti-Theft Cell, which is illegally disconnecting their legal water supply connections and demanding undue favors for restoration.

Sources within the Board informed The News that the said Anti-Theft Cell is an illegal entity, formed in violation of laws and rules by some political high-ups, headed by a junior level grade 17 officer Rashid Siddiqi. The said cell, sources added, is working as a parallel body of KW&SB, which is not accountable and answerable to its managing director.

Karachi’s main industrialists’ organization KATI have complained to the authorities that due to disconnection of water supply, they have no choice but to use sub-soil water. In the absence of water, major garment, textile and leather industries could not operate and complete their orders in time incurring oss of precious foreign exchange to the country, they wrote to the chief minister and chief secretary Sindh.

The officials of KW&SB’s Anti-Theft Cell disconnected water connections and demanded undue favors, and despite complaining to the MD there is no respite, the industrialists blamed. On the other hand, the Hotel Owners Association (PHDA) alleged that the KWSB cell demanded furnishing the sanction letter and water connection record of a hotel installed some four decades ago, and then without any notice disconnected its water connection at once, despite provision of all record to KW&SB authorities.

Due to these illegal actions, the hotel industry has to bear more expenses for purchasing water from water tankers which is not economically viable and it is feared it could precipitate into closure of many hotels, which are already suffering unprecedented hardships due to Covid-19.

Rashid Siddiqi, the head of KWSB’s Anti-Theft Cell, told The News that his section is working in accordance with the laws and described the allegations of industrialists and hotel owners baseless. The business community, he said, should have pointed out any illegal act or undue demand, instead of complaining unnecessarily. Siddiqi added that the Cell is an assignment basis section, formed to check not only the illegal connections but also disconnect them.