0
HYDERABAD, Jan 9: If water is not released in the Akram Wah canal by the midnight of Jan 10, it is feared that the people of the city would take to the streets and protest against the water shortage which would lead to a law and order situation.
This was said in an SOS addressed to the adviser to the Sindh chief minister for local government by the managing director, Wasa, Hyderabad, on Friday, a copy of which was also obtained by Dawn.
The managing director said that Paretabad and Hala Naka waterworks received water from the canal which had been closed by the irrigation department for annual repairs since Dec 26 last year.
He said that during his recent visit to the site, it had been established beyond any doubt that the available quantity was only sufficient to meet the water demand up to Jan 10. He feared that as the repair work was going at a slow pace, it would not be completed by the scheduled date.
He said that any extension in the closure of the canal would deprive the people of their potable water needs and added that the people had already taken to the streets against the shortage.
He said that the closure of the canal was also causing revenue loss to the Wasa due to non-payment of water bills which would make it next to impossible for the agency to even disburse salaries which may again create problems.
The managing director appealed to the adviser to impress upon the Sindh government to ensure the release of water by the midnight of Jan 10 to save the situation from taking an ugly turn.
HDA: Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Development Authority urged the secretary irrigation through a letter that the closure period of canals may not be extended beyond Jan 10.
HDA director-general Ali Ahmed Lund also requested the Wapda chairman to provide uninterrupted power supply to filter plants, water works and major water pumping stations so that the people of the city could be supplied drinking water.
He also directed the managing director of Wasa to remain in contact round-the-clock with the irrigation department as well as Hesco authorities to ensure required quantity of water for HDA ponds and undisturbed supply of electricity to its installations so that proper water supply was provided to the people of the city.
SLA: The Sindhi Language Authority announced here on Friday that it had established a corner for the notable writer, the late Jamal Rind, at the Resource and Reference Information Centre for which Qaim Jamal Rind, son of the late writer, had provided books from his personal library.
A spokesman of the authority said that the Jamal Rind corner would go a long way in helping research scholars to make use of the source material.
MUET: The Mehran University of Engineering and Technology announced here on Friday that the list of successful candidates in the admission interviews held on Jan 7 under the regular special scheme would be displayed on the university notice board on Jan 10.
The candidates have been advised to collect their admission letters from the office of the Registrar from Jan 10 to 14. Moreover, the university has fixed Jan 17 as the last date for payment of admission fees.
SAU: The vice-chancellor, Sindh Agriculture University, Dr Basheer Ahmed Chandio, has appointed Professor Dr Mohammad Roshan Wagan of the Soil Sciences Department as the principal of the Z. A. Bhutto Degree College, Dokri, with immediate effect. He has also appointed Basheer Ahmed Memon as Bursar, Ghulam Hussain Shaikh as Resident Auditor and Mohammad Moosa Babbar in the planning section.
