Residents Fight Water Scarcity, Tanker Mafia Profiting Amid Administrative Negligence
Six out of nine water filtration plants are in poor condition in the city of Karachi, where only 150 chlorine cylinders are available each month. PHOTO: PIXABAY
KARACHI:
The city is facing a severe water shortage as repair work on a major 84-inch water pipeline has disrupted supplies to much of the city. Residents of areas like Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, PIB Colony, Saddar, Old City, DHA and Gulbahar have gone four days without water, depending on expensive water tankers to meet their basic needs.
According to Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), an 84-inch main line leak was detected near Block 19 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, prompting emergency repair work that began on Monday. The repair caused a reduction of 200 million gallons per day at the Dhabeji pumping station, severely affecting water distribution throughout the city.
While KWSC claims that the repair was completed ahead of schedule (48 hours ahead of the 96-hour schedule) and that water supply would gradually resume from Wednesday night to Thursday, residents remain skeptical. Frequent pipe breaks, leaks and breakdowns have become routine, leaving citizens struggling to access even basic drinking water.
The crisis has hit workplaces and public spaces hard. Employees at the major Sohrab Center shopping mall reported two days without water, while mosques in the affected areas do not have enough water even for ablutions.
Repair work has also disrupted water supply to hydrants in Landhi and Sherpao, while areas around Safoora and Nipa Chaurangi are facing severe shortage. The KWSC spokesperson said all available resources were deployed to expedite the repairs and apologized for the inconvenience, describing the work as “technical and critical”.
Despite official assurances, Karachi residents continue to bear the brunt of poor water infrastructure, and are often forced to spend large amounts on water tankers just to survive daily routines. The current crisis underlines the urgent need for long-term planning and modernized water management in the city.
PST warns of protests
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) President Engineer Muhammad Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said that depriving citizens of a basic need like water reflects the height of mismanagement and administrative failure. He noted that in many parts of the city, residents are desperately waiting for water, while relevant departments are limited to making complaints and announcements.
He pointed to frequent pipeline breaks, widespread leaks, delays in repairs and what he described as unfair distribution as clear evidence that responsible institutions have failed to meet their constitutional and legal obligations. “Valuable water flows into the streets, while citizens are forced to buy it at exorbitant prices from the tanker mafia,” he said, calling it open exploitation.
According to Qadri, the current shortage has paralyzed domestic life and is seriously affecting hospitals, educational institutions and commercial activities. Children, women and the elderly face immense difficulties, he added, lamenting that public issues do not appear to be a priority for the authorities. He described the situation as a flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights of citizens. Qadri warned that if Karachi residents do not receive clean, sufficient and affordable water without delay, the PST reserves the right to organize peaceful protests along with the public.
