Mayor Murtaza Wahab announces end to ‘water tanker culture’ in Karachi

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday signalled a major shift in the city’s water distribution strategy, directing the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to phase out tanker-based supply in favour of a pipeline-dependent system.

The development comes days after the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, taking notice of water supply issues in the port city, urged the Sindh government to take swift steps for curbing the tanker mafia and upgrading existing water infrastructure of the metropolis at par with the growing population.

The committee had decided to convene quarterly review meetings to monitor the K-IV and other important projects and expediting progress on them and also suggested holding a joint meeting of all the relevant senate committees with attendance of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the Karachi mayor and senior officials for resolution of Karachi’s long standing water and sewerage woes.

Following which, the Karachi mayor announced that all water hydrants in the city will eventually be abolished, Aaj News reported. He instructed officials to develop an effective alternative to the current tanker service to ensure citizens receive a permanent and reliable water supply directly to their doorsteps.

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While water hydrants currently generate around Rs300 million in monthly revenue, the mayor revealed that their contracts expired last year. He clarified that no new contracts will be issued.

“The city administration aims to transition entirely to pipeline distribution, viewing tankers as an unsustainable solution that causes significant hardship for residents,” he said.

To manage the existing water shortage during this transition, Mayor Murtaza proposed a schedule where water is supplied to different areas on an alternating-day basis.

He emphasised that immediate steps must be taken to ensure water reaches the public’s doorsteps via lines, marking a decisive move to free Karachi from its long-standing reliance on the “tanker mafia.”

The Senate body, which met with Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan in the chair here at the Sindh Assembly Building on January 9, received detailed briefings on the performance of the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

Senators Farooq Hamid Naek, Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Abdul Qadir Khan, Att-ur-Rehman, Saleem Mandviwala and Shahadat Awan, along with Members Sindh Assembly Saima Agha, Shariq Jamal, Rana Shoukat Ali and Asif Moosa attended the meeting.

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They raised concerns over the water supply situation in Karachi and unauthorised operations of the tanker mafia, lamenting that the tanker mafia has been allowed to hijack the city’s water supply, forcing citizens to pay for water.

The committee had recommended that the Sindh government should take immediate measures to curb the tanker mafia and upgrade Karachi’s existing water infrastructure in line with the K-IV water supply project and the rapidly growing requirements of the city.

The committee had further decided that the matters related to the funding and progress of the K-IV project would be reviewed on a quarterly basis.