Karachi to get piped water as KMC decides to end supply through tankers, hydrants

• Karachi mayor orders phase-out of all water hydrants in Karachi.
• Tanker-based water supply is not sustainable: Murtaza Wahab.
• Karachi to supply water to areas on alternate days: mayor.
  

KARACHI: In a major development and a sigh of relief for the inhabitants of the port city, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has decided to end water supply through tankers and hydrants across the city.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, while chairing a meeting on Tuesday,  directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to develop an alternative system to provide water to residents through pipelines, gradually shutting down all seven hydrants operating in the megacity.

“All hydrants in Karachi will be phased out, and water will be supplied to citizens through pipelines,” Wahab said, adding that arrangements should be made to deliver water to people’s doorsteps through proper line connections.

The mayor said the city currently earns around Rs300 million per month from water hydrants but stressed that the contracts for hydrant operations had expired last year and would not be renewed.

“We will not issue new contracts. Instead, we want to rid citizens of dependence on tankers,” Wahab said.

He acknowledged that tanker-based supply was not a permanent solution and caused hardship for residents. “Providing water through tankers is not sustainable, and citizens face difficulties because of it,” he said.

To address water shortages, the Karachi mayor said the city would ensure supply to every area on alternate days until the pipeline-based system is fully implemented.

The recent development came after the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday asked the Sindh government to take swift steps to curb the ‘tanker mafia’.

The committee also decided to convene quarterly review meetings to monitor the K-IV and other important projects.

The committee further decided that the matters related to the funding and progress of the K-IV project would be reviewed on a quarterly basis.