KARACHI: The powerful water thieves of Karachi appear to be untouchable once again. According to credible sources within the Water Corporation, four textile mills along Mehran Highway have illegally reconnected heavy motors to the city’s main conduit line, resuming large-scale water theft that was earlier curtailed in official operations.
Despite multiple FIRs and so-called crackdowns, suspended officials have quietly been reinstated, and bulk meter chambers remain sealed without the installation of meters. Sources within the tax revenue department question whether the Water Corporation has tacitly admitted its failure – especially as new motors have reportedly been installed directly ahead of the meters under the supervision of serving engineers.
Insiders confirm that Engineer Zia has been posted as Executive Engineer of both the Water Trunk Main (WTM) and the Meter Division, and that the new heavy motors were installed under his direct supervision.
The World Bank-funded project to install 4,100 bulk meters across the city remains incomplete. Chambers were constructed to house the imported meters, but many remain empty – allowing industries to draw millions of gallons of untreated water daily without monitoring.
A senior security official of the Water Corporation admitted that a previous anti-theft operation along the same conduit had been hailed as a “major success.” However, the silence following this new wave of theft suggests the perpetrators enjoy powerful backing.
Despite clear evidence of large-scale water pilferage, no substantial departmental action has been taken against officials or engineers previously suspended over similar cases. There have been no internal inquiries, suspensions, or public disclosures regarding ongoing investigations.
Following a recent raid near Landhi’s Labour Square Hospital Chowrangi, conducted on a tip-off, the Water Corporation exposed three major textile factories – Ibrahim Textile, M.N. Textile, and Feroz Textile – directly involved in water theft. The factories had illegally installed 6-inch submersible pumps on the Haleji Conduit, drawing millions of gallons of water daily, depriving residents of their rightful share.
In a separate operation near Port Qasim Industrial Area, another textile company – Denim International – was found illegally extracting water through heavy motors connected to the same conduit network.
A spokesperson for the Karachi Water Corporation stated that “indiscriminate action will continue against all elements involved in water theft,” emphasizing that water theft is a crime against citizens. However, the statement notably blamed only the factory owners – while maintaining silence over the alleged complicity of Corporation officials.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Corporation reiterated that anyone – including employees – found aiding or abetting such crimes would face the “harshest departmental action.” He affirmed that “water is the right of citizens, not private industries,” and that “no one will be allowed to steal what belongs to the people of Karachi.”
Meanwhile, civil society representatives, including Allama Rizwan Farooqui, have condemned the resurgence of corruption within the Water Corporation, alleging that “some officials are directly selling stolen water to industrial units.” He urged CEO Ali Ahmed Siddiqui to launch a transparent investigation into the latest wave of industrial water theft.
Residents and activists are questioning why, despite repeated discoveries of such large-scale theft, no lasting reforms or accountability measures have been implemented within the Corporation. The pattern of reinstated officials, empty bulk meter chambers, and continued silence from the upper management only reinforces the perception that Karachi’s water thieves remain stronger than the law.
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