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KARACHI, Sept 6: Various parts of the city’s former districts South and West either went dry or received scant supply on Saturday, giving a boost to the sale of water tankers.
Sources in the city government’s water and sanitation department attributed the water scarcity problem in former district South to short supply of 35 mgd of water from the Dhabeji source on Saturday.
“In fact, the city received an altogether 50 mgd short supply during the last two days i.e. 15 mgd less on Friday and 35 mgd on Saturday,” they added.
The localities belonging to the former district South which have been experiencing water shortage for the last three days include Clifton’s blocks 2, 4 and 5, a portion of Bath Island, Mehmoodabad, Manzoor Colony, Azam Basti, Defence View, Kharadar, Mithadar, Bhimpura, Ranchorre Line, Ghazdarabad, Lyari’s Behar Colony, Baghdadi, Singho Lane, Pakistan Chowk and Haqqani Chowk and City Railway Colony.
Residents of the affected areas complained that in the absence of piped water they had no choice but to buy private tankers at exorbitant rates or consume sub-soil unhygienic water at the cost of their health.
They complained that since their request for water through tankers, belonging to W&S department’s hydrants often remains unheeded for days together, private tankers indulge in money-minting by charging higher than the normal rates.
In support of their contention, residents of the affected localities said one can see a large number of tankers, both private and those being operated by Rangers, rushing to and from hydrants to water-starved localities day and night via Sharea Faisal and Chand Bibi bridge (formerly known as Kalapul).
Complaints of persisting water shortage have also been received from various sectors of Orangi, Baldia, Shershah, parts of North Karachi and Pak Kausar Town, Kausar Town, Indus Mehran and Saudia Colony’s Sector 8-B in Khokhrapar.
Residents of the affected localities questioned whether the W&S department would adjust the amount they had been incurring on the purchase of private tankers each month in their water bills.
“As our locality is deprived of water since long, we have been spending at least Rs 500 per month for purchasing water tankers from the rangers manned the Jamia Millia hydrant which means we are spending Rs 6,000 a year merely on account of water,” said a perturbed resident of Malir.
SEWAGE OVERFLOW: Filthy water from choked gutters has flooded a number of streets near Tariq Road’s Rehmania mosque.
Residents of the affected area said although sewerage lines of their locality, as well as of the nearby main PECHS commercial area off and on overflow, the W&S department’s concerned officials have not taken measures to rectify the fault.
A similar complaint has been received from the people residing in several streets, situated behind Shaheed-i-Millat Road’s Medicare hospital, Alamgir Road, Maqboolabad Cooperative Housing Society.
Residents of the affected localities said all their complaints lodged with the W&S department’s concerned officials and Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town have gone in vain.
“Such an indifferent attitude on the part of the W&S department’s officials and the Nazims of the union council and Gulshan Town shows that they are least bothered about the filthy environment prevailing since long,” a perturbed resident said.
