25 September 2004	Saturday	09 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Sept 24: Various parts of the city on Friday experienced an acute water shortage on Friday.

The worst affected localities included Korangi's Sector-48, Chakra Goth, parts of North Karachi's Sector 11-C-1 (Sir Syed Town), Kharadar, Mithadar, Baghdadi's D D Chaudhry Road, Clifton's blocks 2, 4 and 5 and different sectors of Orangi Town.

People residing in Korangi's Sector-48 and its adjacent locality, known as 'Chakra Goth', complained that although they had been facing an acute water shortage for the couple of weeks, the KWSB officials have not taken measures to restore their normal supply.

Attributing the cause of persisting water shortage in Chakra Goth and its adjoining localities to opening of joints in a recently laid pipeline in Sector-48, Korangi Town's Nazim said he has demanded of the City Nazim and the KWSB's managing director to order an inquiry as to how a pipeline which was laid only a month back had started leaking so early.

Complaining about persisting water shortage, residents of different localities of Orangi Town's UC No 9, said that although a considerable quantity of water was being wasted through leaking pipelines, the KWSB officials have not yet taken measures to plug leakages.

"Water coming out from leaking pipelines is, on the one hand, causing water shortage and, on the other, damaging roads and street," a councillor of the Town's UC-9 said.

Residents of other affected localities deplored that in the absence of piped water they have no choice but to either purchase private tankers at exorbitant rates or consume sub-soil unhygienic water at the cost of their health.