KARACHI, April 24: Water shortage in various parts of the city has assumed such an alarming proportion that protest demonstrations and sit-ins have become a routine in the affected localities.

The situation has been compounded owing to non-availability of senior officials of the city government’s water and sanitation department and absence of complaint centres.

Nazims of the affected towns and union councils apprehend that the officials’ indifferent attitude might lead to a law and order situation as the people accuse them of not taking interest in ensuring uninterrupted supply on the plea that the KWSB is a part of the city government.

Senior officials of the water and sewerage department avoided meeting them at their offices and often switched off their mobile phones and did not respond on their residential phones, the Nazims complained and said they had brought the issue into the notice of the city Nazim repeatedly.

Similar complaints have been received from the residents.

“Whenever we visit the offices of senior officials of the W&S department to apprise them about the lingering water issue, we are either told that the officials have gone on site or are busy in meetings,” a resident of Mehmoodabad told Dawn.

Nazims of different union councils of Lyari Town said they were amazed to know that the department’s chief engineer, water supply, Khalid Malik, had gone on a long leave at a time when the city was in the grip of a water crisis.

Some women protesters belonging to Mehmoodabad visited the department’s office at Karsaz on Thursday to inform the executive district officer about the persisting water problem, but they were stopped from entering the office. They staged a sit-in in front of the office.

The protesters raised slogans against the officials and returned unheard.

Acute water shortage continued to persist in various areas.

The worst-affected localities included Lyari’s Shah Beg Lane, Ali Mohammad Mohalla, Rangiwarra, Hazara Colony, Madina Masjid Road, the UBL Street, Al Falah Road, Agra Taj Colony, Ghausia Masjid and New Kalri; Clifton’s blocks 2 and 5; Kharadar, Mithadar, Pakistan Chowk, Haquani Chowk, Mohammad Ali Society, Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 4, 10 and 13-D/2; Federal B Area’s blocks 10, 14, 15 and 16 and Mehmoodabad.