Karachi to continue to suffer from water crisis until K-UV project completes

 The provincial Sindh government in Pakistan informed the assembly, that the shortage of water would continue to persist until the completion of the K-IV, or Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme, Dawn reported on Monday.

During the assembly session, the Opposition raised concerns over the water scarcity in Karachi. Six call attention notices of the opposition members drawing the attention of the provincial government towards the persistent water shortage that hit every inhabited part of Karachi, while the seventh pertained to the water woes of residents of Hyderabad.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's parliamentary party leader Rana Ansar raised the water shortage issue in Hyderabad. While her party lawmakers — Ali Khurshidi, Basit Ahmed Siddiqui, Sadaqat Hussain and Syed Hashim Raza — through their call attention notices asked the local government department to resolve water shortage issues in parts of the city including Surjani Town, Orangi Town, Landhi and Korangi.

The parliamentary secretary for the local government department, Saleem Baloch, said that currently, Karachi needed 1,200 million gallons of water per day (MGD), while it was getting only 600 MGD from two of its sources, Dawn reported.

“Almost 100MGD water is wasted due to leakages,” he said, adding that the residents were actually supplied only 500MGD.

He said that the completion of the K-IV project would bring an end to water problems in the metropolis

Drawing attention to the water shortage in his constituency, MQM-P’s Sadaqat Hussain said that the people of Orangi Town had been deprived of water for 90 days. He demanded that strict action must be action against officials concerned over their “failure’, Dawn reported.

He said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) was actively involved in granting illegal water connections in the vicinity, adding that five illegal connections were given in the last week alone, Dawn reported.

In her call attention notice, Rana Ansar said that water shortage had become a chronic issue in Hyderabad.

She said that the meagre quantity of water being supplied in the city was contaminated and unfit for human use.

Ansar further said that though there was a water shortage in every city, Hyderabad was the worst-affected city due to a short supply of water. She said that the city needed 120 MGD, but it was being given only 60 MGD.

Responding to the notice, parliamentary secretary Baloch conceded that there was an acute water shortage in Hyderabad mainly due to electricity load shedding and excessive use of water during summers, Dawn reported.

“The pumps are closed due to power suspension affecting the regular water supply,” he added. (ANI)