KARACHI, Aug 4: An acute water shortage continues to persist in various parts of the city and the residents of the affected localities are forced to either buy water from private tankers or consume sub-soil unhygienic water.

The worst affected localities included Kharadar, Mithadar, Burnes Road, parts of Lyari, Clifton's Block 2, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Khokhrapar, Model Colony, Saudia Colony, Shershah, SITE (both industrial and residential), different sectors of North Karachi, Orangi and Baldia townships.

Residents of the affected localities, except for those hooked to the Hub dam source, said they had been experiencing water shortage since Thursday last when a 72-inch dia rising main had burst.

They complained that although the KWSB had claimed that water supply to the affected localities had been restored, their supply has not yet normalized. Meanwhile, a councillor of Orangi Town's Union Council No 9 said that a vast area falling under the jurisdiction of his UC was continuously being supplied contaminated for the last couple of months.

Attributing the cause of contaminated water to a damaged 15-inch dia pipeline, he said although the pipeline was damaged about a month back, the KWSB officials have not yet repaired it despite a number of complaints lodged with them.

He said on the one hand a number of localities, such as Habib Bank Quarters, Makhdoom Shah Colony, Junaid Colony and Dabba Morr, were being supplied dirty water, and on the other, residents of a nearby Benazir Colony are deprived of water for the last one month.

According to him, residents of Benazir Colony are not getting the supply because the KWSB officials have, so far, failed to repair the pipeline which was passing through a nullah and was damaged more than a month back during its cleaning.

He regretted that although the UC-9 Nazim had brought both the issues to the notice of the XEN and other senior officials concerned, they have not yet taken measures to repair them.