KARACHI: (HRNW)- Senior leader of the Insaf Lawyers Forum Karachi and noted legal practitioner Advocate Hasnain Ali Chauhan on Tuesday strongly criticised the Sindh government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) over what he described as a worsening water crisis in Karachi, claiming that nearly 80 per cent of the city’s residents had been deprived of water.
Taking to media representatives in City Court Karachi, Advocate Hasnain Ali Chauhan alleged that the provincial government’s “incompetence” had forced citizens to purchase expensive water tankers to meet their daily needs amid soaring temperatures.
He said the Sindh government had failed to provide “even a single additional drop of water” to Karachi over the past 18 years, adding that depriving citizens of water during extreme heat amounted to injustice against the people of the metropolis.
“The ongoing water shortage raises serious questions over the performance of the Sindh government,” he said, accusing the ruling PPP of failing to address one of the city’s most basic necessities.
Criticising major water infrastructure projects, Chauhan said the Sindh government had made “grand promises” regarding the New Hub Canal project, constructed at a reported cost of Rs12 billion, but alleged that it had failed to provide any additional water to Karachi despite claims of supplying 100 million gallons per day (MGD).
He further alleged that the project had become a victim of corruption and mismanagement after its inauguration by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Referring to the K-IV water supply project, Chauhan said the scheme had remained incomplete for the last 24 years despite its estimated cost rising from Rs25bn to Rs250bn, while residents continued to suffer from severe water shortages.
He also claimed that Karachi, which contributes nearly 90pc of Sindh’s revenue, had been deprived of basic civic facilities in return.
Calling for immediate action, Chauhan urged the authorities to ensure uninterrupted water supply to Karachi residents and adopt emergency measures for a long-term resolution to the city’s water crisis.
