KARACHI, Nov 14: Water will be supplied to deficit areas of Lyari Town under an emergency plan made by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), it is learnt here on Thursday.

Under the plan, 50 tankers have been arranged carry water to the three pumping stations connected with the COD plant which, the KWSB claimed, had developed a fault causing suspension of water supply to certain areas of the town.

There have been angry demonstrations, road blockade and sit-in in and around the areas worst-hit by water shortage in Lyari town, mainly Baghdadi and Shah Beg Lane, over the last three days. Men, women and children have been staging a sit-in on the vital intersection of Ali Hotel day and night to press the authorities normalize water supply and put an end to their months-long agony. However, there had been no official word from the KWSB on the protest campaign and the pressing problem, facing tens of thousands of Lyariites, till Thursday afternoon.

The protesters had suspended their aggressive campaign on Wednesday night with a meeting of the elite of the area who put forward certain demands and pledged to resume the street protest if the KWSB continued with its indifferent attitude.

An uneasy calm returned to Baghdadi, Shah Beg Lane and a lot of the adjoining localities on Thursday as the elite of the area informed the enraged protesters that the KWSB had come out with an ‘emergency plan’ to overcome the water shortage problem. Thousands of commuters heaved a sigh of relief as the essential arteries, including Shah Latif Bhittai Road, were reopened for the normal traffic after three days of blockade. An unusually heavy traffic was witnessed in the town in the day while families living in the narrow lanes and streets were looking visibly comfortable due to the easing of the pressure of vehicular traffic in their localities.

Meanwhile, elite of Lyari Town have called a representative meeting to weighing the KWSB assurances besides reviewing the overall situation arising out of the persistent water shortage, according to a spokesman for the protesters.

Though, the current spell of an acute shortage of water has started a few months back, Lyari has been facing a chronic shortage for no less than a decade. The KWSB admits that a total of 13mgd is being supplied to the town which is quite insufficient for the densely populated sector. The Board’s claim is disputed by the residents and a Baloch organization activists who put the figure at less than eight million gallons a day. They estimate that the supply should at least be 32mgd to cater to the minimum requirement of the residents.