Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the Karachi commissioner to launch an operation against ‘water mafia’ who are stealing over 10 MGD from different areas and selling it to industrialists.
The chief minister said this while presiding over a special meeting on the projects of Karachi at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers including Murad Ali Shah, Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, ACS (Dev) Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Ali Khan, Secretary Local government Baqaullah Unar, Administrator KMC Laiq Ahmed, MD Water Board Misbah Farid and others.
The meeting was informed that water mafia was so powerful in the city that they were stealing over 10 MGD water from the main lines and selling the same to the industrialists. This theft is going on from the areas of Federal Main Trunk, Shershah, Pak Colony, Baldia, Gul Baie, Tekri, Maripur and Grax villages, Lyari, Jahanabad and PIB.
The meeting was told that the punishment under law for water theft was 10 year imprisonment and penalty. The chief minister said he was quite surprised that this mafia was still active despite taking serious measures. “This is intolerable and I would given you special police force to dig out their lines and arrest them and make them example for others,” he said.
The meeting was told that the DG Rangers and IGP had been provided the list of 25 water thieves but no action had been taken so far. The chief minister directed the chief secretary to appoint an honest and strong SP to start operation against the water mafia. “This is a final decision and I just want results,” he directed commissioner and MD water board.
The meeting was informed that Rs 200million grant given by the chief minister to KWSB for rehabilitation of Pipri and Dhabeji pumping station was being utilised transparently. It was delayed last year due to some litigation issues but now everything was fine and work was at tendering stage.
The meeting was also informed that Rs1 billion 65 MGD water supply scheme to Karachi had been taken up and rehabilitation and overhauling of a pumping station at Hub Dhabeji had been launched for Rs 1.6 billion. These overhauling would enable the pumping station to pump 50 MGD more water. This would help to reduce water shortage in the city by 20 per cent.
