The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the representatives of industrialists have agreed on new water tariff for the industries at the flat rate of Rs 145 per 1,000 gallons. In a meeting at Governor House under the chairmanship of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan on Monday evening, Managing Director KWSB Misbahuddin Farid suggested the flat rate of tariff to the industrial consumers at Rs 145 per 1,000 gallons instead of Rs 215 per 1,000 gallons.
Earlier, the KWSB had increased water tariff on August 1, 2011 by 82 percent to meet its expenses without realising the impact of such an exorbitant increase in water tariff in one go on the general public and the bulk consumers especially the industries. The industrial community outrightly rejected the hike.
They had sought the intervention of Governor Sindh to resolve the issue, who formed a committee comprising Chairman Sindh Board of Investment Zubair Motiwala, Leader of Businessmen Group Siraj Kasim Teli, chairmen of all seven industrial associations, Managing Director KWSB Misbahuddin Farid and government officials. After several meetings, the committee decided to reduce water tariff from Rs 215 per thousand gallons to Rs 145 per 1,000 gallons for industrial consumers only.
However, no relief was provided to the poor residential consumers. They would have to bear the 82 percent increase in the tariff. The residential consumers criticised the government and said that the government always provided relief to millionaires by ignoring the poor.