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Tanker mafia draining away Rs50bn annually
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Tanker mafia draining away Rs50bn annually

Karachi: Everyday, 272 million gallons of water is being siphoned illegally into Karachi, according to a research conducted by the non-profit non-governmental organisation, Urban Resource Centre (URC) and the Orangi Pilot Project. The annual budget of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), which is supposed to supply water throughout the city, is Rs5.3 billion. In contrast, the water being illegally siphoned off is worth Rs49.6 billion, meaning that if the water theft is contained, the utility can become a profitable organisation.

In Karachi, where the population rises by the size of the population in Islamabad every year due to internal migration, there two sources of water supply. One is the River Indus, which supplies 645 million gallons per day (mgd) of water, although this amount is dwindling owing to the impact of climate change. The other is the Hub dam, where supplies fluctuate between 30mgd and 75mgd, depending on rainfall.

Before any of the water reaches the Dhabeji pumping station, Pakistan Steel and Port Qasim Authority is supplied with 30mgd. The city is therefore left with 665mgd. From here, tankers managed by Rangers allegedly siphon the precious resource in collaboration with officials from the KWSB.

The KWSB has nine official hydrants managed by Rangers. The official rate for water supplied through tankers ranges from 15 paisas/gallon to 25 paisas/gallon, depending on the distance the water has to travel and whether it is for residential or commercial use. The rates are Rs150 to Rs250 for 1,000 gallons, Rs300 to Rs450 for 2,000 gallons, Rs450 to Rs800 for 3,000 gallons, and Rs1,200 for 5,000 gallons. Officially, Rangers are authorised to supply 13.75mgd water through 13,750 tanker trips. However, 25mgd water is supplied through only 8,377 tanker trips. Sometimes, the water is charged at double the usual rate, depending on the distance it has to travel, how well clients bargain, and the season.

“The job to supply water was given to Rangers in the 1990s on a temporary basis. They were supposed to supply it to water-starved areas, but it has become such a lucrative business that they are not ready to give it up,” said Mohammad Nauman, an associate professor at NED University of Engineering and Technology, who has written extensively on water issues. Apart from the nine official hydrants, there are 161 unofficial hydrants or water filling stations. Most of these are located near the bulk distribution mains. According to the URC, there are six areas in the city where clusters of hydrants and filling points have been reported. These can be found at the Hub reservoir to Banaras Chowk along the Manghopir Road, at Banaras Chowk to Guttar Bagicha, at Mewashah graveyard to Shershah along the Lyari river, near Saba Cinema at Ayub Goth in North Karachi, along the National Highway near Malir, and in Lalabad, Landhi.

As many as 5,000 tankers are affiliated with the Private Tankers Association, which makes 50,000 to 60,000 trips supplying 185mgd to 222mgd water. Seventy per cent of this supply goes to industries. The bulk supply to towns is 293mgd. There is a shortfall of 260mgd to 308mgd, which is being met by the tanker mafia. To put this in perspective, the city gets 333mgd water from unofficial hydrants, and a mere 25mgd from official hydrants.

Nauman feels that to prevent water theft, it has become necessary to hand over the pipelines to union councils (UC) and towns and install water meters in homes. He thinks that these UCs and towns should pay a certain portion of the water tax. Mohammad Younus, Director, URC, agrees, and added, “The KWSB should have its own power generation to contain water scarcity due to frequent power breakdown in the city.”

Meanwhile, Dr Shahana Urooj, Chairperson, Department of Microbiology and Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Karachi said that the KWSB water supply is contaminated. “A number of studies were carried out by the department of microbiology. They found traces of potential human pathogens, suggesting the water is contaminated with sewage,” she said. She warned that this can cause diarrhoea, enteric fevers, and bacterial problems such as campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, virulent E.coli, and viruses like rota and Norwalk.
The News Thursday, August 28, 2008
http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=132444

August 30, 2008 | 12:01 PM Comments  0 comments

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Pakistan bombers hit arms factory 70 killed on the Spot
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

At least 70 people have been killed and dozens injured in twin suicide bombings outside Pakistan's main munitions factory in the town of Wah, police say.

The attack is the deadliest on a military site in Pakistan's history.

Police say one man is in custody for the attack, which occurred some 30km (18 miles) north-west of Islamabad.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taleban said they had carried out the attacks, which he said were a response to army violence in the country's north-west.

Speaking to the BBC, Maulvi Umar of the Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan said the bombings in Wah were in retaliation for the deaths of "innocent women and children" in the tribal area of Bajaur.

He said more attacks would take place in Pakistan's major urban conurbations unless the army withdrew from the tribal areas.

Pakistani Prime Minister Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani promised to punish the perpetrators.

The leaders "reaffirmed their mutual support for going after these extremists that are a threat to Pakistan, the United States and the entire world," a White House spokesman said.

Wah is a strategically important town normally under heavy security as it is home to a large industrial complex producing conventional arms and ammunition, correspondents say.

'Great suffering'

The first blast took place outside the gate of the factory as workers were leaving work during a shift change.

Minutes later, another blast took place at a market nearby another gate of the same factory.

There was smoke, bodies and blood. Those who were left alive were in great suffering

Mohid Ahmed, eyewitness

Pakistan's spiral of violence

Local police chief Nasir Khan Durrani told the BBC: "Many others have been injured and we expect casualties to rise."

Mohid Ahmed, a student from Wah, was on a tour of the ordnance factories and witnessed the immediate aftermath of the blast from his bus.

"There was smoke, bodies and blood," he told the BBC.

"Those who were left alive were in great suffering. I saw a man clutching his leg and crying in pain and asking for help."

PLease Spread it to the Mouth of World, please STOP this terrorist attacks, bomb attacks. This is Totally inhuman to kill each other. They killed innocent people they are not human they are Animal. Pakistan is no more safe to live, Peace is a Dream in Pakistan. it makes me cry when i hear about terrorist attacks.
For GOD Sack please Stop it who ever it is. Just Stop it Don't kill humanity. Please Pray for all who were died in these terrorist attacks.

August 21, 2008 | 7:24 PM Comments  0 comments

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Pakistan hospital bomb kills many
Related to country: Pakistan

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

At least 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a hospital in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.

The attack happened at midday as Shia Muslims gathered at the hospital in Dera Ismail Khan district to mourn a local leader who had been shot dead.

There was also more fighting between militants and soldiers in the Bajaur district on the Afghan border.

The violence comes a day after Pervez Musharraf resigned as president.

Two police officers were believed to be among the dead and at least 24 other people were injured, police said.

The attack took place outside the hospital's emergency centre, where mourners had gathered after the body of local Shia leader Zaffar Jajjee was brought in.

Police officials say the suicide bomber blew himself up in a dense crowd.

An emergency was declared at the hospital and a tight security cordon thrown around the compound.

Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the militant group Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan, told the BBC Urdu service that it had carried out the attack.

"We have carried out the attack in retaliation for the government's actions in Bajaur," he said.

"Musharraf may be gone but his policies remain."

Over the last three weeks, 15 people have been killed in Dera Ismail Khan in drive-by sectarian shootings.

Almost all are blamed on the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Pakistan's deadliest militant group, which is known to have close links to al-Qaeda and the Taleban.

The current situation in Pakistan needs solid steps towards Peace Activities & stress upon the Government of Pakistan to Control Extremist Islamic militants. Its the duty of Pakistani Government to provide Peace & safty to General public.