• Electricity and gas loadshedding also compel residents to take to streets
• JI activists stop tankers and spill water onto thoroughfares
• Monem holds PPP govt responsible for water crisis

KARACHI: Multiple protests over a dozen points in Karachi caused traffic jams throughout the city, especially East and South districts, on Saturday.

While the Jamaat-i-Islami organised demonstrations against water shortages on as many as 15 major arteries across the metropolis, residents in other areas took to streets over prolonged power cuts and gas loadshedding.

The Karachi traffic police said that traffic jams took place in Keamari near Jinnah Bridge, University Road near Urdu University and Askari Park, National Highway near Malir Kala Board, and Shahrah-i-Jahangir near Tahir Villa due to development work while Jamshed Road and Jahangir Road were closed for vehicular traffic for hours due to residents’ protest over power outages and gas loadshedding.

They said that vehicular traffic on main Superhighway near Al Asif Square, University Road near Hassan Square and Jail Chowrangi, Shahrah-i-Liaquat near Fresco Chowk, Shahrah-i-Quaideen and some other roads was badly affected due to protests by the JI workers and supporters. They gathered on main intersections near Kala Pul, Korangi Crossing, National Highway, Nazimabad No7, Superhighway, Power House Chowrangi, Orangi Town No5, Banaras Chowk, Water Pump, Hub River Road and Johar Mor to lodge powerful protests against the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation.

The protesters were carrying placards, banners and chanting slogans against the Pakistan Peoples’ Party government and demanded restoration of water supply to Karachi.

Protesters at several locations also stopped water bowsers, opened their valves, and spilled water onto streets.

They argued that the water, which is not available to citizens, was being distributed through these tankers at high prices across the city.

One of such incidents occurred near Khudadad Colony, where a charged mob stopped water tankers, and spilled the water onto the road.

‘Rs12bn worth water’

Addressing one of the protests at Burns Road, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar claimed that the water crisis forced the citizens to buy water through tankers worth around Rs12 billion only in a few days.

“What is this crisis that deprives Karachhiites of water in their regular supply lines, but continues to serve the hydrants round-the-clock,” he questioned.

He held the PPP government responsible for the situation as it had been ruling over the province for the past 16 years.

Over the past 15 days, main supply lines to Karachi had leaked thrice and it exposed the incapacity and poor performance of the PPP government, he said.

He added that the PPP government failed to include even a single drop of water in the quota for Karachi.

Speaking about the water tanker mafia in Karachi, he said that the water corporation in Karachi in a shameless manner, proudly announced that it had earned Rs1.6 billion, mostly through water tanker mafia.

He said a water tanker that had been available at the cost of Rs2,000 was now being sold at Rs7,000 and the tanker which used to sell at Rs4,000 was now selling at Rs12,000.

The JI leader demanded the Sindh chief minister to increase the water quota for Karachi by at least one per cent in order to reduce the dependency on water tankers.

Road accidents

He also linked the horrible figures of deaths in road accidents with water tankers and held these trucks, dumpers and trailers responsible for at “least 150 killings out of the total 750 deaths in road accidents so far this year in the city”.

He asked the government to devise a time frame and ensure that tankers follow the schedule for movement in the city.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024