CM directs vigorous operation against water theft
How 30 pc losses, theft, tankers make life difficult in Karachi

How to ensure that each and every area of Karachi gets water continues to be a headache for the Sindh government and it, yet again, forced him to launch a drive against water steelers.
Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Chief Minister called all critical officers of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) along with his team and decided to launch a vigorous operation against water theft so that water could be supplied to the starving areas of the city.
Shah reportedly emphasized the KWSB has to improve its overall performance by ushering in the best professional practices in its entire system right from administration to water distribution, and revenue collection to enhancing revenue resources, reducing line losses to completion of its projects in time”.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said the KWSB was responsible for production, transmission, and distribution of water to the people of Karachi and thus should demonstrate its professionalism.
Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Minister Labour Saeed Ghani, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, CM Special Assistant Waqar Mehdi, Najmi Alam, Principal Secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary LG Najam Shah, former MD Water Board Asadullah Khan, MD Water Board, and chief engineers participated the moot.
The moot was told that the overall water supply to Karachi city was around 406 MGD against a demand of 1000 MGD. A total of 450 MGD water comes from Dhabeji, 100 MGD from Hub, and 30 MGD Gharo.
With such availability of water, the water distribution network laid decades ago has outlived its age. Weaker water pipe joints are causing wastages/leakages of water and thus 30 percent or 174 MGD go into losses. They, as result, have to live with merely 406 MGD against the total availability of 580 MGD.
Nasir Shah’s presentation was enough to put bare the situation. He further told the moot that the power breakdown problem at Dhabeji, Gharo or Hub resulted in an immediate reduction in supply”. Also, change of land use (residential to commercial) unbalanced drawl of water from existing inventory in street/roads.
The chief minister asked how the gape water was being bridged up while having a shortfall of 594 MGD. The reply was: through water tankers. “It means water is available”, Shah said.
Nasir Shah said that all the illegal hydrants have been eliminated and only six legal hydrants were in operation. The chief minister said that the tankers were not going to Keejhar or River Indus to fetch water.
“They are stealing water from the water board system,” the CM said.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the chief secretary to coordinate with Rangers, Police, and other related agencies to start a decisive operation against the water theft in the city.
“I want you [KWSB] to take action against the consumers who have installed heavy pumps over water supply pipes and illegal water connection from the main pipes”, he said.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the water board administration to expedite their schemes for adding more water to the system and up-gradation of the distribution system and replacement of old pipes with new ones.