KARACHI: While water scarcity continues to trouble residents of Karachi, much of the available supply is also unsafe for consumption due to the deteriorating condition of water filtration plants. Most of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) filtration facilities have been dysfunctional for several years, resulting in insufficient chlorination and the spread of waterborne diseases like Naegleria.
According to Mohsin Raza, General Secretary of the People’s Labour Union, out of nine KW&SC filter plants, only three are operational, leading to a forty percent reduction in chlorine usage. He revealed that the city requires 240 chlorine cylinders monthly for its 645 million gallons daily water supply but receives only 150, causing widespread contamination risks.
A KW&SC spokesperson, however, claimed all nine plants and 32 chlorinators across six sites were functional and said chlorine tablets were being added to water tankers. The official added that water samples were regularly tested at KW&SC laboratories.
Contrary to these claims, Health Department findings last year showed contamination in over 50 samples, with bacteria like Vibrio cholerae and E. coli triggering a diarrhoea outbreak that affected about 20,000 children. Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba thriving in contaminated water, also claimed four lives, with another fatality recently reported in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Dr Muhammad Akram Sultan warned that while chlorine is essential, excessive exposure can cause eye irritation, breathing problems, vomiting, and even lead to cancers over prolonged use. He stressed that proper balance in chlorination was necessary to avoid further health risks.
The KW&SC spokesperson advised citizens to regularly clean water tanks, use chlorine tablets in stored water, and avoid unchlorinated swimming pools. Boiled or properly treated water was recommended for drinking and ablution to prevent infections.
