Karachi is losing a significant portion of its water supply to a powerful tanker mafia, which siphons off an estimated 30–40% of the city’s bulk water lines for private resale.
Illegal hydrants — many unauthorized — pull water from major pipelines. The network involves tanker owners, KWSB insiders, and political connections, operating like a sophisticated syndicate.
Residents are forced to buy water from these tankers at hugely inflated prices. An analysis shows that daily theft could run into hundreds of millions of gallons, worsening Karachi’s already dire water shortage.
Critics argue the mafia’s grip is not just a water crisis — it’s a governance failure, exploiting both infrastructure flaws and the desperation of citizens.
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