KARACHI, May 20: In a surprise move, the Nazim and Naib Nazim of Lyari Town and its 11 union councils on Monday morning shut their offices and converged at a camp set up in front of the town’s office on main Chawkiwara Road to protest against a water crisis.

A number of banners, inscribed with anti-KWSB slogans, were displayed at the camp office. The three-hour protest, which was led by town Nazim Abdul Khaliq Juma and Naib Nazim Malik Mohammad Khan was also joined by all Nazims and Naib Nazims of 11 union councils in which water shortage persists.

The worst affected union councils are Chawkiwara, Agra Taj Colony, Daryabad, Behar Colony, Allama Iqbal Colony and parts of Baghdadi and Shah Beg Lane.

Recently residents held protest rallies against KWSB officials for its failure to restore normal water supply.

In view of mounting pressure of the public regarding water shortage in parts of Lyari Town, the elected members of the local bodies repeatedly warned the authorities of serious consequences if immediate steps were not taken to solve the problem.

They also made it clear that “it is becoming hard to stop the desperate people of the area from coming on roads.”

Later, talking to newsmen, Abdul Khaliq Juma said: “Today’s protest is a part of our three-day campaign,” adding offices of Nazim and Naib Nazim will remain closed for three days as part of our protest against water shortage in the first phase.

In the next phase, he said all Nazims and Naib Nazims of the 11 UCs would join the campaign. He added that the protest campaign would continue till the problem is resolved.

He accused the KWSB of creating an artificial water crisis to tarnish the image of local bodies members, saying a wrong impression was being created that local bodies members were responsible for water management.

In fact, he said bulk water supply and distribution systems were still under the control of the KWSB.

Giving a background of water crisis in Lyari Town, he said that the KWSB claimed that it provided 30 mgd to the Town despite the fact “its water needs was more than 45 mgd, it hardly gets eight or nine mgd.” He suggested meter installation at pumping station.

According to him, the old supply waterlines meant for the Town were reportedly interfered in the midway, particularly in Garden area where officially and unofficially water is diverted to some other area.

“Such unethical interference certainly reduces the required bulk supply to UC-10 and 11 which ultimately becomes a significant factor in the existing water crisis”, the Nazim observed.

The Nazim regretted that more than 20 meetings had been held with officials of the city government and KWSB and other concerned departments, there had been no positive response.

For the past few months, water supply position in some parts of Lyari has aggravated. The affected areas include parts of Kalakot, Nawalane, Juman Shah Plot, Chawkiwara, Singoo Lane, Rangiwara, Gul Mohammad Lane, Old and New Kalri, Ahmed Shah Bukhari Road, Juma Baloch Road, Pool Patti Lane, Ali Mohammad Mohallah and Shah Beg Lane.

Meanwhile, in a press release, an official of the KWSB claimed that water supply position in Lyari Town was comparatively better and more steps were being to improve the supply.