Seminar “Water Shortages Crisis in Karachi :

Causes and Consequences”

Organized by Shehri – Citizen for a Better Environment

November 25, 2014

Hotel Movenpick, Karachi

The Problem …. Shortage of Water

Karachi gets a limited amount of water from its natural sources. According to the 2005 Japan Inter Cooperation Agency (JICA) study there is no realistic prospect of developing new water resources which can be used to cater for future water requirements for Karachi. Desalination is also not an option due to high cost.

• There is an insatiable demand for

municipal water for drinking, sanitation

and industry and it out strips supply.

• Old pipes, lack of proper infrastructure,

leakages, unauthorized consumption

of water, illegal unauthorized housing

colonies, which later house

unregulated small industrial activities.

• Use of suction pumps throughout the

supply network

• Private and illegal connections by boring into the KWSB main lines.

• The ever expanding population, housing colonies (both legal and illegal) projected population of Karachi 2025 is 25 million.

• Expansion of the city limits, DHA, ever increasing industrial activities in Port Qasim, more and more industrial zones, burden the water supply of KWSB

How citizens handle the shortfall of water

Due to over expansion of the city, not all its citizens are

linked to the KWSB supply line.

Alternative sources of water have been created by the

citizens.

• Personally installed tube wells.

• Bore wells

• Small scale water providers

• Illegal hydrants

• Bottled water suppliers

Unfortunately this water supply is unlawful as it is not

regulated through the KWSB and it contributes a

significant percentage to the non-revenue water (i.e.

water used from the KWSB sources but for which it gets

no income – only loss in water supply)

Solution to the water shortage, KWSB Approach KWSB has abrogated its responsibility to

supply clean water to all the citizens. It has

approached this perennial problem by

supplying water through hydrants. These

private hydrant operators now rule the

water distribution network and KWSB has

been reduced in its role as bulk supplier

• The background of the hydrants was that in 1983, KWSB had a small hydrant system whose purpose was to supply water for VIP use, Orangi, Baldia and SITE Town. After completion of the Hub water supply scheme, KWSB added 100 million gallons daily and the necessity of hydrants disappeared.

Private Hydrants/Tanker Operators ….. The Real Water Players

• KWSB recognizes 22 Legal Water Hydrants

• The Hydrant operators bid to transport water from the KWSB hydrants to areas within the 5-mile radius of the hydrant

• The name given to the water for which the private hydrant operator bids for is called the General Public Rate (GPS) rate. The most recent GPS rate 2013 is ranging from Rs.220 to 350/- (for different legal hydrants)

• No one gets water at GPS rates. The reason why, the private hydrant operator bids is that the General Public Service (GPS) rate is an eye-wash, actually the hydrant operator makes millions, selling water at his own rates.

Hydrant water is sold under three categories

o Free Gratis: This is water given to government departments, MPAs, MNAs, Judges, VIPs. For this water the hydrants operator does not charge the VIP users, but KWSB repays him by allowing him to take additional water and sell it commercially at his own rates.

o General Public Service (GPS): This is the name given to water which is the bases of the tender/agreement between KWSB and the private hydrant operators.

o Water for industries and commercial use is also carried by the private hydrants operators. There is no rate fixed by KWSB for its transportation and the hydrant operator charges at his will.

The adverse impact of having private hydrant operators on the water supply, KWSB and the

Citizens

• KWSB has been reduced to a bulk supplier of water, it has lost its mandate to distribute water, recycle waste water and take it position as an important utility of the city the size of Karachi.

• Water is life: It is the responsibility of the state through its various departments/organs to provide clean potable cheap water to the citizens. KWSB sets a very nominal rate (the GPS rate) but no where is water delivered at this rate, because there is no one is to monitor or regulate the private hydrant operator.

• The Health and Environmental Impact is to be considered as whether the water is potable at most times the reply is negative. • The 5-mile radius of each hydrant overlaps the territorial jurisdiction of other hydrants. This raises the question whether water is truly being supplied to the needy and water starved areas or it is simply a case of “a neighborhood location on the pyramid of wealth.

Hydrants Territorial Jurisdiction overlapping - Allows water to be sold in other places

• There is no KESC meter at these hydrants and according to the contract agreement a KWSB representative collects Rs.30/- for each one thousand gallon tanker being filled towards the KESC units used (there is no time limit for tanker to be filled, it can take 30 minutes, it can take 1-hour and for this entire process, the KWSB only collects Rs.30/-.)

• There is no water meters installed at these KWSB hydrants.

A few suggestions (Short Term Action)

• All contracts agreements between Private Hydrant Operator and KWSB must be revisited and all the mandatory requirements fulfilled.

• All agreements must be made public through print and electronic media.

• GPS, commercial and gratis rates must be advertised.

• KESC meters to be installed at all KWSB 22 hydrants.

• All tankers to carry the name of the hydrant they take water from

• All rates must be notified publically, Private Hydrant Operator should not be allowed to set and determine rate.

• The 5-mile radius must be cut down to 2-miles within its territorial jurisdiction.

• GPS Tracker to be installed on all tankers as done by KESC on its repair vehicles

• All hydrants to be metered to measure water being drawn by the private hydrant operators. They are only 22 of them, so cost should not be considered.

Thank you