Karachi-Sindh government on Monday informed the provincial Assembly that Karachi was getting only half amount of water than its need and the scarcity to continue till completion of K-IV project. The water shortage issue echoed in the Sindh Assembly as five out of seven call attention notices were related to shortage of the basic necessity in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) parliamentary leader Rana Ansar raised water scarcity issue in Hyderabad while Ali Khurshidi, Basit Ahmed Siddiqui, Sadaqat Hussain and Syed Hashim Raza through their call attention notices asked the local government ministry to resolve water shortage issue in Surjani Town, Orangi Town, Landhi and Korangi. In reply, Parliamentary Secretary to Local Government Saleem Baloch said that currently, Karachi needed 1,200 MGD water per day while it was getting only 600 MGD of water from its two sources.
Speaking on Hyderabad’s situation, Baloch said that there was a water shortage in Hyderabad as well due to electricity load-shedding by HESCO.
He said that due to power suspension, the pumps were closed due to which the water supply was affected. Parliamentary Secretary to Local Government Saleem Baloch asked the power company in Hyderabad to at least exempt the pumping stations from load-shedding. He said that efforts were being made to resolve the issue in Hyderabad soon.
MQM-P member Sadaqat Hussain in his call attention notice drew attention to the shortage of water in his constituency.
He said that the people of Orangi Town had been deprived of water for 90 days. He demanded that strict action must be action against the XEN over his ‘failure’. Sadaqat Hussain said that the water meant for the people of Orangi Town had been stolen through illegal connections. Baloch said they were trying to ensure fair distribution of available water across the city. He also assured the house that strict action will be taken against whoever was involved in illegal connection.
MQM-P deputy parliamentary leader Ali Khursheed, another MPA from Orangi Town, said that the water source for his constituency and other parts of West district was Hub dam.
“There is enough amount of water in Hub dam to supply water to district West,” Khurshidi added while expressing concerns over water distribution.
Basit Ahmed Siddiqui of the MQM-P said that there was acute water shortage in Surjani Town. “The people of my constituency are craving for a drop of water but tanker mafia is getting and selling it easily,” he added. Hashim Raza in his call attention notice maintained that there was unfair water distribution in Korangi and Landhi. He said that the water allocated for his constituents were being stolen through installation of illegal booster pumps on bulk line.
Legislation
Meanwhile, the Assembly also passed The University of Larkano Bill, 2023; The Sindh Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Bill, 2022; The Sindh Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Sindh Social Protection Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and The Sindh Goth-Abad (Housing Scheme) (Amendment ) Bill, 2023 before it was adjourned to Tuesday (today).