KWSC, Rangers launch major operation against illegal hydrants

In Ayub Goth, officials dismantled an illegal hydrant allegedly operated by a man identified as Salman.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, with support from Pakistan Rangers Sindh, intensified efforts against water theft by demolishing illegal hydrants and disconnecting unauthorized supply lines in Sohrab Goth and surrounding neighborhoods.

According to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC), the joint operation was carried out by its Revenue Protection and Enforcement Cell (RPEC) alongside Pakistan Rangers’ 72 Wing in several locations falling under the Hub Trunk Main (HTM) Division.

In Ayub Goth, officials dismantled an illegal hydrant allegedly operated by a man identified as Salman. Authorities disconnected all unauthorized water connections linked to the site, sealed the premises and arrested the suspect during the operation.

Enforcement teams also confiscated a 30-kVA generator, a 10-horsepower submersible pump, two electrical control boards and pipelines of varying sizes used to extract water illegally.

A separate raid targeted another illegal hydrant reportedly managed by a man named Imran in the same locality. Officials removed unauthorized wells and water connections while seizing additional pumping equipment, electrical boards and pipeline infrastructure installed for illegal water extraction.

The operation also focused on the city’s main transmission network. Five illegal tapping points connected to the 84-inch-diameter main water supply line in Ahsanabad were removed after authorities found that two-inch pipelines had been installed to siphon water directly from the trunk line.

The illegal tapping points were located in SUPARCO Society, East City Hospital, Pakistan Television Cooperative Housing Society, Ahsanabad Cooperative Housing Society and Khayaban Patni Housing Society. All unauthorized installations were sealed on-site.

In another action, teams disconnected two illegal four-inch water connections that had been taken from the 18-inch Sohrab Goth main line in Dars Sana Quetta Town 3-A. KW&SC officials said the consumer associated with the illegal connections owes nearly Rs20 million in outstanding dues, adding that legal proceedings have been initiated to recover the amount.

According to the KW&SC officials, the joint campaign resulted in the demolition of two large illegal hydrants, the removal of five illegal tapping points and the disconnection of numerous unauthorized water connections. Authorities also seized one generator, two submersible pumps, four electrical boards and approximately 295 feet of pipeline used in water theft operations.

KW&SC officials said the operation secured both the 84-inch Hub Trunk Main and the 18-inch Sohrab Goth transmission line from illegal interference, describing the crackdown as part of broader efforts to curb organized water theft and ensure a fair distribution of water across Karachi.

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The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation said similar enforcement operations will continue without interruption and warned that individuals involved in water theft and illegal hydrants will face strict legal action.