KARACHI – The representative body of the Consumers Association of Pakistan, in collaboration with the Bahria University, recently organised a seminar at the Karachi campus auditorium of the Bahria University to commemorate the World Water Day 2011 with the theme ‘Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenges’.
The programme was attended by a large number of people from different walks of life. Moreover, scholars and speakers presented their papers and delivered speeches on the occasion. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Vice President Khalid Tawab, who attended the seminar as the chief guest, emphasised conserving water in the city and said that the need of the hour is to create awareness among the general public about the importance of water.
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) Managing Director Misbahuddin Fareed said that the water bills are quite reasonable, but most consumers are not paying them. The KWSB is facing a huge debt because 40 percent of the supplied water is being wasted due to lavish use of water in the city, he added.
The Karachi Building Control Authority and the cantonment boards are issuing No-Objection Certificates for multi-storeyed buildings without consulting the KWSB, which has resulted into water scarcity in the city, Fareed said. The KWSB has been trying to equally distribute water across the city, whereas tankers also arrange for and supply water to the areas without water, he added.
Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority Director General Muhammad Junaid Ahmed Qureshi said that bottled water is randomly sampled and checked for quality.
