KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to install digital flow meters on 11 water connections meant to supply water to Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and various other residential areas within the jurisdiction of the CBC.

The bench ordered the installation of water meters/data loggers on five connections for DHA and six for residents of different colonies in CBC jurisdiction to eliminate the scope of water theft and leakages from the main supply line.

In its written order issued on Friday, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi observed that both the CBC and water utility were required to take concrete steps including increasing supply from the main source, improving infrastructure and eliminating water theft as well as leakages from the main supply line to ensure water supply to DHA residents through pipelines.

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Subsequently, it ordered that another meeting of all the stakeholders to be held at the office of chief executive officer (CEO) of the KWSC on Saturday (today) and also asked the petitioners to participate in the meeting or send their nominees along with proposals.

Meeting between residents, cantonment board and water utility officials to be held today

The bench issued these directives on a set of identical petitions filed between 2021 and 2023 against an additional levy on water and inadequate facility of clean water in DHA and Clifton areas.

At the outset of the hearing, KWSC CEO Salahuddin Ahmed and the CBC deputy CEO Zameer Hussain, along with their lawyers, appeared in court and informed the bench about the last meeting and filed compliance reports and statements in the light of the court’s previous order.

A statement was also filed by the lawyer for one of the petitioners.

The bench in its order said, “After hearing learned counsel for the parties and the officials of KW&SC and Cantonment Board Clifton at some length, it appears that in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of water to the petitioners and other residents of DHA through waterline concrete steps are required to be taken by all stakeholders, particularly KW&SC and cantonment board to increase the water supply from main source and to improve the infrastructure as well as eliminate the scope of water theft and leakages in the main supply line, whereas, in the interim period to ensure that water shall be supplied to the petitioners and other residents of DHA through bowesrs as per court’s orders.”

Adjourning the hearing till Oct 24, it asked the respondents that the minutes of the meeting, to be convened on Saturday (today) at 2pm, along with deliberations and proposals must be placed on the record for consideration of the court.

“However, in the meanwhile, the respondents shall ensure that digital flow meters/data loggers may be installed on 11 different water connections, 05 meant for supply of water to residents of DHA and 06 meant for supply of water to various colonies in the cantonment Clifton,” it concluded.

Over 100 residents of DHA and CBC filed petitions in the SHC and contended that they have been paying annual water levy regularly, but the respondents have failed to provide adequate facility of water to them and other residents in flagrant violation of Article 38(d) of the Constitution and judgements of the apex court and charging additional amount against each water bower.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023