Water tankers prices soar five-fold amid Karachi’s water crisis

KARACHI: In Karachi – the city with the seashore and beaches – water shortage is a problem throughout the year, but in the summers, the scarcity of water increases multifold. HUM News looked into how much water is available to the city and what is the official and unofficial price of Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation tankers?

According to an estimate, the demand for water in Karachi is increasing by one million gallons per day (MGD) every year.

The Karachi Water and Sewage Corporation (KWSC) told HUM News that the daily demand for water in the city is 1,200 million gallons. The city is being supplied with 450 million gallons of water daily from Keenjhar Lake, while 60 million gallons of water is being supplied from Hub Dam. About 100 million gallons of water is wasted or stolen from the damaged lines, meaning the city does not get even half of its demand.

KSWC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Asadullah Khan said that there is a quota of 100 MGD, but the available water is currently around 55 to 60 MGD. “One thing that will happen with this new canal is that we will start getting our 100 MGD of water, which is the water of the shore. After that, the Government of Sindh has thought of talking to WAPDA to increase our 100 MGD quota to at least 105 MGD,” he added.

In areas where water does not reach through the line, 3,500 registered water tankers from the city’s seven government hydrants provide water at the official price. According to official data, 1,500 unregistered water tankers also provide water in the city at the asking price.

Karachi Water Corporation says that after the completion of the new canal of Hub Dam, which will provide 100 million gallons of water per day, the Sindh government will talk to WAPDA to approve a quota of another 100 million gallons per day from the old canal.

OFFICIAL VS BLACK MARKET TANKER PRICES

According to the official tariff, a 1,000-gallon tanker is provided for Rs1,560, while an additional Rs67 per kilometer is charged outside the three-kilometer radius. In black market, this tanker is sold for Rs4,000 to Rs5,000.

The official price of a 2,000-gallon tanker is Rs2,184. Transportation charges of Rs77 per kilometer are charged outside the three-kilometer radius. In black market, a tanker of this quantity is available for Rs8,000 to Rs10,000.

The official price of a 3,000-gallon tanker is charged for Rs2,888. After three kilometers, a transportation charge of Rs86 per kilometer is charged. In black market, this tanker is available for Rs13,000 to Rs15,000.

A 5000-gallon tanker is provided at an official price of Rs3,900, while outside the three kilometer radius, Rs156 per kilometer is charged. In black, this tanker is usually sold for Rs20,000 to Rs22,000.

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