Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum's (PBIF) president Mian Zahid Hussain has called for declaring water emergency in the city. He also demanded privatisation of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), saying the water utility has failed to become viable organisation despite getting subsidies. Talking to industrialists, he said that the influential tanker mafia taking advantage of a row between KWSB and K-Electric has intensified water crisis in the economic and financial hub of the country.
"Industrialists of the city are forced to pay around Rs 4 billion to tanker mafia every month to keep their units running, while shortage of water has taken toll on textile and value added industry," he said, and added: "Tanker mafia has emerged as a serious threat to people of the city and industries as it has added to the cost of doing business." Accusing some officials of creating artificial water shortage in different parts of the city, he said that such a situation has left the people on the mercy of tanker mafia which, he alleged was stealing around 50 per cent of water from the system.
"Theft of water translates into benefit of Rs 5bn for the tanker mafia while there are many officials who share the booty," he said, adding that the SITE industrial area was being supplied hardly one-fourth of its requirement of 40mgd, he added. "If there is shortage of water in the city then from where tankers are getting water for selling it at exorbitant rates," he asked. He said that over 5,000 tankers have put strain on the city's roads, bridges, causing traffic congestion and accidents.