KWSC cracks down on subsoil water theft

By our correspondent

ARACHI: In response to persistent allegations of corruption, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has placed the controversial Subsoil Water Cell under the control of the Revenue Resources Group (RRG), while NLC hydrants have been reassigned to the Hydrants Cell. Senior Director Nisar Magsi confirmed that the Subsoil Water Cell’s revenue has been steadily declining, now amounting to just Rs170 million, despite licences being issued to around 70 companies. The administrative change follows internal consultations within the Water Corporation aimed at restoring oversight.

Officials allege that the Subsoil Water Cell had become a hub of corruption, with water being booked illegally without meters and subsoil water companies diverting supplies directly from Karachi’s pipelines. The operation of these companies reportedly generated billions of rupees monthly, yet only a fraction was deposited into the corporation’s official accounts. Records of water extraction and revenue were reportedly incomplete or missing.

Sources pointed to the alleged role of Chief Security Officer Anjum Tauqeer Malik, a temporary employee whose contract expired on 18 December 2025 but who reportedly continued to work without lawful authority. Malik had been given temporary charge of the Subsoil Cell and is alleged to have halted enforcement actions against subsoil companies, becoming complicit in large-scale corruption. Currently, 38 applications have been received for the post of a new Chief Security Officer.

Police records and FIRs show that all office-bearers of the Subsoil Water Association were allegedly involved in water theft. While several arrests were made, investigations remained incomplete and cases could not be sustained. Names of 12 office-bearers, including Association President Shakeel Mehr and General Secretary Ajmal Wali Khan, appear in multiple cases, though many charges were reportedly withdrawn due to their influence. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has announced that these cases will be re-presented before a newly formed tribunal.

Investigations in the SITE area have identified numerous companies involved in the illegal subsoil water trade, including Muhammad Ayaz Khan, Babar Saleemullah Khan, Shamsur Rehman Khan, Barkat Noor Muhammad, Muhammad Saleem, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Muhammad Mudassir, Muhammad Azam, Razaullah Khan, Yar Muhammad Khan, Atiqullah, Saeedullah Khan, Rashid Naseem, Muhammad Uzair, Muhammad Uzair Shakeel, Umair Shakeel, Jameel Ahmed, Jameel Ahmed Shakir, Shehzad Muhammad Khan, Hameer Shakeel, Amjad Ali Khan, Fazal Islam, Wali Khan, Muhammad Irfan Maitan, Rafiullah, Islam Shah, Sahibzada Sohail Abbasi, Raja Ameenullah Haq Abbasi, and Muhammad Ashfaq Tanoli. In SITE Industrial Area alone, billions of rupees worth of water are allegedly being stolen and sold under the guise of subsoil extraction.

The report further alleges that Chief Security Officer Malik, Executive Engineer Tabish Raza, and Executive Officer Mushtaq Ahmed have amassed assets worth millions of rupees. Although KWSC issued licences to 70 subsoil companies verifying 292 boreholes, the actual number reportedly exceeds 1,200 across Karachi. These companies are said to earn over Rs10 billion annually, while KWSC’s official income from the sector is only Rs55 million. No effective action has reportedly been taken against any company, with illegal extraction continuing unchecked along the Malir and Lyari rivers.

For years, millions of gallons of water have reportedly been diverted and sold daily. Sources claim that Malik and Tabish Raza instructed staff not to act on public complaints or conduct anti-theft operations. An operation in Nazimabad launched over a month ago has yet to yield results. Executive Engineer Tabish Raza is also due to retire at the end of January 2026. Large-scale water theft continues in Korangi, Landhi, Bin Qasim, Shah Faisal Colony, and other industrial areas, with Anti-Theft and Subsoil Water Cells allegedly colluding with offenders while receiving bribes and commissions.

In Nazimabad and along Orangi Nala, particularly in informal settlements, water theft is reported on a massive scale. Orangi Nala has become a central hub, with stolen water reaching Pak Colony, Rizvia Colony, Golimar, and the Lyari River. In Nazimabad, water thieves allegedly choked a 33-inch pipeline to sell diverted water to SITE industries under the label of subsoil water. Over the past 15 years, similar operations were announced, but no convictions, licence cancellations, fines, or jail sentences have been recorded. Recent operations reportedly identified eight illegal connections, but cases were filed against only four, including prominent figures of the subsoil mafia such as Muhammad Shakeel Mehr and Secretary Ajmal Wali Afridi.

This administrative reshuffle aims to restore oversight and curb large-scale subsoil water theft in Karachi, though sources warn that the city remains vulnerable to organised illegal operations until rigorous enforcement is implemented.