Since 2006, the population of Karachi has significantly increased, however, no new water projects have been completed to meet the growing demand. As a result, the tanker mafia has taken advantage of the situation by charging exorbitant fees on a daily basis.
PPP has been in power in Sindh for 14 years, yet no progress has been made in bringing additional water to Karachi from the Sindh River. The population of the city has now surpassed 30 million, yet the lack of adequate water supply remains a pressing issue.
There have been allegations that the theft of water has significantly increased under the patronage of high-ranking political figures associated with the ruling party.
Water is being stolen from legal and illegal sources such as hydrants, tankers, and underground water board lines. The federal and Sindh governments have failed to address the issue and have allowed two crucial water supply projects, with a capacity of 260 million gallons and 65 million gallons per day, to be delayed for several years.
Unfortunately, the city is facing a severe water shortage as it requires 1,200 million gallons of water per day to meet the needs of its population of 30 million. However, only 420 million gallons of water are being supplied to the city.
According to a Water Board officer, the approved quota for water supply from Kenjhar Lake to Karachi is 650 million gallons per day. However, due to limitations in the canal system, only 520 million gallons per day are able to be supplied to the city.
The last project to increase the water supply from Kenjhar Lake to Karachi was completed under former President General (r) Pervez Musharraf. The 100 million gallons per day project was initiated in 2004 under the leadership of ex-Mayor Nazimullah Khan and was completed in record time in 2006 when Mustafa Kamal was the Mayor.
In 2010, the local government was abolished and the Water Board came under the control of the Sindh government. Since then, the performance of the Water Board has steadily declined. The citizens of Karachi have suffered as a result of the lack of proper management and inadequate water supply.
The 260 million gallons per day and 65 million gallons per day additional water projects have been delayed for six years and the development of these projects has been completely halted for the past three years.
