KWSC told to install meters for subsoil water use by industrial units

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, while presiding over a meeting on Tuesday with industrialists from various industrial zones of Karachi, directed the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to regularise subsoil water connections and install meters for their billing.

He said the mixing of sweet water with subsoil water for industrial purposes was not allowed because the subsoil water has different charges while the cost of sweet water being provided to the industrialists by the KWSC has different rates and both rates are part of the tariff for industrial consumers.

 

He urged the industrialists to play their due role in ending water theft while the KWSC would ensure an uninterrupted supply of water to their industrial units.

He said that his government was keen to develop a conducive atmosphere in the province for business and industrial activities, for which concrete measures were being taken. “This would be possible when the industrialists would strengthen the government’s hands by extending their cooperation in carrying out inspections,” Baqar said and added the infrastructure of all the SITEs was being developed under the supervision of the concerned associations.

The industrialists presented their issues such as water shortage, fire incidents at shopping centres, dilapidated condition of Jam Sadiq Bridge, construction of a flyover at Islamia College and provision of water and natural gas to industrial units.

The interim CM discussed every issue with the industrialists and sought their solutions from the secretary of the relevant government department. The CM, while discussing the water shortage, said that some of the industrial units were stealing water directly from the water board lines. “This is a very serious issue; therefore, the water utility has started disconnecting their connections,” he said and urged the KWSC to provide water connections to industrial units that had applied.

KWSC MD Salahuddin told the CM that he had received 100 water connection applications and had started providing the applicant industries with new connections. He pointed out that the water shortage in the SITE Karachi would be met when a 10MGD additional water supply.

He said a water supply system was required to be developed from the Hub reservoir to the Valika Hospital and then there would be some upgrading of the system in the SITE area. The scheme would cost around Rs2.4 billion.

At this, the CM directed the KWSC MD to send him a summary of these schemes. He also directed the chief secretary to seek permission from the Election Commission to carry out these new schemes.

Salahuddin pointed out that there were a large number of illegal bores, for subsoil water extraction, developed by industrialists, of which the water board had registered 140 and the registration of the remaining bores was in progress.

At this, the CM directed the KWSC chief to install metres to record consumption of the subsoil water and fix its rates and start charging the industrialists concerned.

The industrialists took up the issue of the firefighting system. The SITE area have their fire tenders and constructed a water tank of 60 gallons’ capacity, but they don’t have water to fill it. At this, the CM said that sweet water was not required for firefighting, but wastewater after minor treatment could be used.

He advised the SITE and the industries department to prepare a small scheme for wastewater treatment. It was also decided that a firefighting system would be developed at every SITE. The representatives of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry pointed out that the SBCA had cleared the building burnt at Ayesha Manzil, but even then, it has been closed for business activities. The CM directed local government secretary Manzoor Shaikh to resolve the matter.

The CM urged the industrialists to develop the areas of their industrial units through greenery, brick roads, streetlights, and sitting places. “If all industrial units start developing their areas, the entire SITEs will give a beautiful look,” he said.

The industrialists agreed to develop their areas if agencies such as the KMC, towns, and Sindh Environmental Protection Authority did not harass them. The CM directed the industries department to look after the industrialists for carrying out a beautification plan.

Earlier, Minister of Industries & Revenue Younus Dagha gave a briefing to the CM on the issues of industrialists and also told him about the measures taken to resolve them.