KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has taken an interim measure to halt the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) from progressing with an 18-inch water pipeline project.
According to sources, the pipeline is intended to link the Kidney Hill Pumping Station in Jinnah Town to Chanesar Town.
The SHC’s decision follows a petition filed by the union committee chairmen of Bahadurabad and Jinnah Town, alleging that the water connection is unauthorized.
”]The union committee chairmen, Mohammad Junaid Mukati and Mohammad Saleem have voiced their concerns over what they consider an “illegal” water supply connection to Chanesar Town from the primary Kidney Hill Pumping Station.
They maintain that the KWSC’s decision to establish the water connection lacks legal approval.
Furthermore, the chairmen’s counsel, Usman Farooq, has stated that the Kidney Hill Pumping Station currently provides water to various societies.
These societies include the Mohammad Ali Society, KDA Society, Kokan Cooperative Housing Society, Bahadurabad, Sharfabad, CP Barar Society, and Dawoodi Bohra Society.
Farooq contended that the KWSC’s actions are politically motivated, as they involve the establishment of an 18-inch pipeline from the main 48-inch water supply line of the Kidney Hill Pumping Station to Chanesar Town.
This alleged move has not been approved by the proper authorities, rendering it unlawful.
Moreover, the counsel further emphasized that the residents of Bahadurabad and nearby societies are already grappling with a severe water shortage.
He asserted that the KWSC’s unauthorized actions could exacerbate this problem, impacting the affected communities significantly.
In response to these allegations, the SHC division bench, led by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, has issued notices to the provincial advocate general, the KWSC, and other relevant parties.
These entities are required to submit their comments by September 5, as the SHC continues its assessment of the situation.
In the interim, the court has directed the KWSC to halt any further progress on the 18-inch water pipeline project from the Kidney Hill Pumping Station to Chanesar Town until the next scheduled hearing.
Source: The News
