Karachi to Pay for Boring Water Starting August

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has announced that starting August 1, people will have to pay for underground water. This decision means installing digital water meters across the city to keep track of how much water used.

According to KMC’s plan, these meters will set up for a wide range of places like shops, restaurants, schools, hotels, and factories. Large residential buildings, such as apartments and housing societies, will also get these meters. But there’s some relief for homeowners—individual houses won’t included in this new system, at least for now.

Mayor Karachi, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, shared that the city expects to raise about 1 billion rupees each year from this initiative. This money will help manage the vast amounts of water—about 550 million gallons a day—that Karachi consumes.

The Mayor also pointed out the ongoing challenge with water tankers. Karachi relies heavily on these tankers, with 5,500 of them delivering water around the city. To tackle water theft, 3,200 of these tankers have already registered, and there are plans to register the remaining 2,300 soon.

For many Karachiites, this new system might feel like a big shift. Water has always flowed freely, but now, with digital meters tracking every drop, it’s clear that conserving water will become more important. Businesses and residents are gearing up to adapt to this change and to understand how it will affect their daily water use and expenses.

This new approach is all about making sure everyone in Karachi has fair access to water, and that this precious resource used wisely. As August 1 approaches, Karachi is preparing for a new era in how it manages its water, hoping to secure a sustainable future for everyone in the city.