KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and other respondents on a petition against illegal hydrants in district west.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi directed the KWSB to take strict action while engaging law-enforcement agencies if such hydrants were being illegally operated in violation of apex court orders and file compliance report.

While putting the respondents as well as advocate general on notice for April 18, it directed them to file comments at next hearing with an advance copy to the lawyer for petitioner.

A resident of Orangi Town petitioned the SHC stating that 16 illegal hydrants were running in different parts of the district and the people were facing shortage of water on account of such illegal operation of hydrants.

The lawyer for the petitioner argued that the officials of water utility had failed to discharge their duties to curb such illegal activities and instead they have become facilitators of culprits/hydrant mafia and deprived the people of potable water.

Besides the hydrant mafia, the counsel asserted that influential people in connivance with the officials of KWSB have also obtained illegal water connections compelling area people to buy water from tanker mafia.

The lawyer further contended that illegal hydrants were being run in Pakhtoonabad, Kunwari Colony, Qasba Colony, MRP Colony, Manghopir, Qaimkhani Colony and other parts of district west.

She argued that the Supreme Court had issued directives to the relevant authorities to remove all such illegal hydrants, but the official respondents were conniving with such mafia.

Citing the officials of KWSB and anti-corruption establishment (ACE) as respondents, the counsel further submitted that an inquiry against officials of water utility in this regard was pending before the ACE, but illegal hydrants were still continuously operating in the district.

The bench issued pre-admission notices and states: “In the meanwhile, the officials respondents are directed to ensure that if illegal hydrants are being operating in District West as detailed in para-2 of instant petition in violation of orders passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, strict action shall be taken, while associating the law enforcement agencies and compliance may be furnished on the next date.”

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023