• Aziz Bhatti police registers rioting case against two dozen protesters for spilling water from five tankers
• JI condemns action against ‘peaceful’ citizens
• Water utility claims supply was ‘fully restored’ in all affected areas

KARACHI: Irked by a novel form of agitation, in which angry youths spilled water from tankers onto roads to record their protest against shortages, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation has moved the police and registered a rioting case against dozens of unknown protesters, it emerged on Monday.

Faced with an acute water shortage in many parts of the city, Karachiites had been taking to the streets for the past couple of days, blocking roads for vehicular traffic to lodge their protest. Some of the protesters had started stopping water tankers and opening their valves to spill water onto the roads. They alleged that the KWSC was selling water through tankers at exorbitant rates instead of providing it to residents through the regular supply lines.

In the latest incident that took place in the small hours of Monday morning, a group of protesters stopped two water tankers on main M.A. Jinnah Road, opened their valves and spilled water onto the track.

Only on Sunday, a KWSC spokesperson while terming the “halting of water tanker operations illegal and unethical” had warned protesters of a strict action for “challenging the authority of the state or its institutions” and said that their footage had been sent to state institution.

On Monday, a KWSC official lodged an FIR at the Aziz Bhatti police station against “20/25 persons” for stopping the operation of NIPA hydrant and spilling water of five tankers.

The FIR was lodged on the complaint of hydrant incharge Syed Shahab Ali under Sections 146 (rioting), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 277 (fouling water of public spring or reservoir), 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

JI delegation visits KWSC head office

In a social media post, JI-Karachi chief Monem Zafar condemned the FIR against “peaceful Karachi citizens” and said that they were just exercising their democratic right of protest.

He said it was shameful that the KWSC was selling water through tankers at exorbitant prices, without realising the miseries of the people who had been waiting for water for weeks.

Also on Monday, a JI delegation comprising town chairmen and city council members met the top authorities of the KWSC at their office and urged them to resolve the ongoing crisis and take necessary measures to avoid water scarcity.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the City Council Advocate Saifuddin condemned the government over prolonged water crisis in the city, as well as the criminal case against protesters.

He said that instead of resolving the issues, the government was mulling to deprive Karachiites of their democratic right to protest against injustices.

Normal supply in all area resumes: KWSC

The KWSC spokesperson said that the water supply across the city continued without disruption and was fully restored in all areas such as Clifton, PIB Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Sakhi Hassan, Keamari and Lyari. He said that all affected localities were receiving uninterrupted water supply from distribution and pumping stations.

In a statement, he said that the city currently requires 1,200 million gallons of water per day (MGD), but the system is supplying only 650 MGD. This includes 550 MGD from Dhabeji Pumping Station, 30 MGD from Gharo Pumping Station, and 70 MGD from the Hub Canal, distributed equitably throughout the city, he added.

The spokesperson refuted claims that piped water was diverted to water tankers. “Of the 650 MGD, only 15 to 18 MGD is provided through government hydrants to the public at subsidised rates,” he added.

He said that the Landhi and Sherpao Colony hydrants had been closed as they got water from the damaged 84-inch line. “However, the NIPA hydrant continued to supply water through tankers as it was supplied water from the Damloti conduit.”

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024