Criticising the provincial government for “not taking any steps to supply water to Karachi”, Sindh Assembly opposition leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi on Sunday said the city’s population had been constantly increasing but “not a single drop of water has been added” to fulfil its growing needs.
“Today, Karachi needs 1,000 million gallons of water per day. According to international standards, 50 gallons per person per day should be provided. The city is short of 350 million gallons of water,” said Naqvi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, while addressing a press conference on the scarcity of the water in the metropolis.
Sindh Bait-ul-Mal chief Hunaid Lakhani, PTI leader and adviser to the ministry of maritime affairs Mahmood Maulvi, MPA Shehzad Qureshi and others were present on the occasion.
Naqvi said water scarcity was the gravest issue of Karachi. “The population of this city is 30 million, which has also been confirmed by [Sindh Information Minister] Nasir Hussain Shah. As many as 100 to 150 million of water is obtained in the city from boring. If the population of the country doubles in ten years, the water shortage will further increase.”
He said the K-IV plan was changed to increase the price of land for the people of their choice. “Work on the project has been stalled since 2018.”
The Sindh government had said that it could not supply water to Karachi until “Sindh's quota is met”, he added. “Out of 14.4 per cent water, Karachiites drink only three per cent water,” the PTI leader said.
He said the PTI wanted to tell the Sindh government that “we do not want riots in Karachi over water scarcity.” Naqvi said water lines were not even present in 40 per cent of the city. He appealed to the federal government to intervene in “the important affairs of the province under the powers given in the constitution”.
“The prime minister should have mercy on the situation in Karachi,” he said. “The corps commander too should take interest in resolving the issues in the city”. He said that if 250 million gallons of water was added every three years, the city would be able to survive. “Study and research should be started from now for the coming days as well.”
Tanker mafia
Lakhani said the tanker mafia was earning more than the drug mafia as the PPP was patronising this tanker mafia. “I have visited every area of Sindh to expose the corruption of the PPP government,” he said, adding that residents in the province had been forced to drink contaminated water.
He said the tanker mafia was selling “sweet water that is mixed with saline water”. He said people were purchasing this water at the rate of Rs6,000 per tanker. The PTI leader said the PPP’s local leaders were running the tanker mafia and earning more than the drug mafia.
He said the Sindh government was stifling the voice of the Opposition. “The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board is not working in losses. In the past 12-year rule of the PPP, new water lines are not laid in the megacity.”
Wheat crisis
Maulvi said an artificial wheat crisis had been created in Sindh and currently hoarders were actively hoarding wheat. “The PPP is using the slogan of roti, kapra aur makaan (food, clothing and shelter),” he said. “At present, the PPP is only doing politics on food. In the coming time, the flour will be sold to the people at Rs 65 per kg.”
