Steps being taken to improve sewerage system, industrialists told

KARACHI: Vice Chairman of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), Najmi Alam has assured industrialists that special attention will be paid and new sewerage lines will be laid where there are more problems and as required.

Speaking at a meeting of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), he said that efforts are being made to improve the sewerage system and steps are being taken to solve the problems through mutual consultation.

The population of Karachi has increased rapidly, which has put severe pressure on the sewerage system. But the problems are so many that it will take time to solve them. The reckless use and theft of water by the people are also causing more problems.

Najmi Alam said that Water Board is taking all possible steps for the availability of water.

KATI President Salman Aslam said that problems in Korangi industrial area are not solved permanently and added that sewerage problems remain prevalent. The industrialists are running their own sewerage system in Sectors 23 and 24, without any cooperation from the Water Board.

President KATI further said that water was an important component for the industries and the government was bound to ensure uninterrupted supply of water to the industries but due to the negligence of the water board, the water received by the industries was being sold to them in the form of tankers. Industrialists are forced to buy water from tankers costing millions of rupees.

Chairperson Standing Committee on Water & Sewerage Board Nighat Awan said that the industrialists in Korangi Industrial Area took care of the renovation of roads and highways on their own, repaired the roads but there was no cooperation from the staff of Water Board. Roads are also being damaged due to the problems of sewerage spill. She said that the Water Board should make it a priority to supply water to the industrial areas and free the industries from the clutches of tanker mafias.

Former Presidents KATI Zahid Saeed and Saleem-uz-Zaman said that despite pointing out the problems, the staff and officers of the Water Board work half-heartedly.

They said that water and sewerage lines are 25 to 30 years old which are contaminated and broken in many places. They said that due to contamination stomach ailments like diarrhoea are spreading and innocent children are suffering the most.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021