The Manghopir police have registered 14 first information reports (FIRs) as part of a crackdown against water theft in Karachi, according to a statement from Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Sunday.

“The noose is being tightened around water thieves,” the mayor said, adding that 26 illegal hydrants were demolished during an operation in Manghopir and its surrounding areas.

“Fourteen cases were filed against various water thieves, and arrests are also being made,” Wahab said, adding that operations were under way against the criminals on a daily basis.

He said that over 60 illegal hydrants were demolished in the last three days, adding that the action would lead to improvement in the city’s water distribution.

The FIRs were registered against different suspects under Sections 14 (servant of the state), 34 (common intention) and 430 (mischief by injury to works of irrigation or by wrongfully diverting water) of the Pakistan Penal Code for stealing water from pipelines, turning them into hydrants and selling to residents through water tankers in localities within Manghopir police station’s limits.

The complaints were lodged by various officials — mainly sub-engineers of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

Last month, a high-level meeting, presided over by Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Muham­mad Sohail Rajput, had decided to take stringent measures against water theft, encroachments and illegal occupation of land in Karachi.

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Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary had said that a strong operation would be carried out against encroachments and water theft in the city.

“An operation will be conducted against illegal hydrants in the East and West districts of the city,” he had said, warning that strict action would be taken against the station house officers concerned if illegal hydrants were reactivated.