KARACHI, June 9: Water supply to different parts of Orangi Town was affected badly on Monday as a valve in a 48-inch dia pipeline, passing through Orangi Town’s Sector 10, got damaged during excavation work.
Eye-witnesses said that the valve got damaged when a contractor and his staff were busy in excavating earth for undertaking some construction work in Orangi’s Sector 10.
As soon as the valve got damaged, the contractor and his labourers fled the scene, they added.
The officials of the city government’s water and sanitation department said although they had made alternative arrangements through a 36-inch dia pipeline, water supply to some parts of Orangi, including its ‘L’ Block, would still remain suspended as long as the damaged valve was not repaired.
The repair work, they said, is expected to be completed within the next 24 hours.
Water to Orangi is supplied after every 72 hours and Monday was their turn of getting their supply.
PROTEST: Some residents of New Karachi’s Sector 11-D on Monday lit bonfire on a road and pelted vehicles with stones when they came to know that a Nazim was taking a three-inch illegal connection from their locality’s 4-inch dia pipeline.
The protesters, however, dispersed following intervention by the area police.
LEAKAGE: A leakage has developed in a 24-inch dia pipeline near Karachi Television Centre.
Area people said a considerable quantity of water was being wasted from the 24-inch leaking pipeline, near Liaquat National Hospital.
SHORTAGE: Various parts of the city remained in the grip of an acute water shortage on Monday, adding miseries to the residents of the affected localities in the current hot and sultry weather.
The hard-hit areas included Manzoor Colony, Mehmoodabad, Clifton’s blocks 2, 4 and 5, parts of Bath Island, Shershah, SITE industrial area, Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Erum Apartments, situated in Buffer Zone’s Sector 15-A/5, Baldia and Surjani Towns and parts of Lyari.
Residents of the affected localities stated that in the absence of piped water, they have no choice but to either consume sub-soil unhygienic water or buy private tankers at exorbitant rates.
According to residents of Buffer Zone’s Erum apartments, they are deprived of water for the last three days.
The other localities which went without water on Monday as a result of weekly water-holiday system included all blocks of North Nazimabad, Federal B’ Area, Shadman Town and parts of Nazimabad.
CLOSURE: The localities where water supply will remain suspended on Tuesday include Clifton, Gizri, Delhi Colony, Punjab Colony, Shireen Jinnah Colony, Bhutta Village, Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health and their adjacent areas.
