Textile factories caught stealing water in Karachi

KARACHI: A major water theft has been uncovered in Karachi, where three private textile factories were found extracting thousands of gallons of water by pumps connected illegally to the Haleji water line, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The operation was exposed near Landhi Labour Square Hospital Chowrangi in a raid executed under COO Engineer Asadullah Khan in collaboration with the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) and local police.

The water theft operation was allegedly performed under the pretext of genuine industrial activity, with the factories using underground utilities to divert municipal water for private use.

This incident is yet another one in a series of water thefts disrupting the city, where the textile factory water theft has become a rising concern during Karachi’s worst water crisis.

Last month, a similar illicit operation was exposed near the Tablighi Jamaat site in Manghopir, where unauthorised hydrants were installed to suck water from Orangi Town’s supply lines.

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Sources claim that hundreds of tankers were filled daily under the guardianship of local police, who are charged with accepting bribes from the tanker mafia.

Investigations revealed that the water theft operation in Karachi was not restricted to industrial zones.

In areas like Khairabad and Baldia Town, small pipelines have been illegally connected to the municipal lines, while water from the Hub Canal continues to be taken illegally with impunity.

Despite repeated crackdowns, the network conducting water theft operations remains strong, allegedly backed by political and departmental complicity.

The KW&SC has vowed to strengthen operations against illegal hydrants and underground tanks used for commercial water distribution.

The textile factory water theft highlights the urgent need for infrastructure reform and governance accountability.

With Karachi’s daily water demand exceeding 1,200 million gallons and nearly 35 percent lost to leaks and theft, the city faces a mounting crisis that disproportionately affects low-income communities.