Karachi:Sindh Minister for Local Government, Saeed Ghani, Monday, said that Sindh government has enacted new laws regarding sub-surface water in 2024 and 13 licenses has been issued under the new legislation so far.
The minster, while responding to a call attention notice about issues being faced by residents of Korangi due to use of sub-surface water by industries during the ongoing session of Sindh Assembly here, informed that new licenses were being issued after enactment of new legislation.
Saeed Ghani informed the house that Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) was authorized under the 2024 Act to issue licenses for extraction of sub surface water in five different categories which does not include the domestic consumer.
Under the new legislation 13 licenses has been issued so far while more applications for license were under process, he informed and added that KWSC will pay 25% of license fee to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for ground water recharge activities.
He said that the i
nitial legislation regarding ground water was carried out in 2018 and prior to that there was no law enforced in the province as to ground water. Total 34 licenses had been issued under the act of 2018 and of them 20 were cancelled due to violation of the act while after enactment of the new law all the old licenses stood null and void, he added.