11 October 2004	Monday	25 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 10: A large number of households in Federal B' Area's block 10 has been receiving contaminated water for many days. The affected residents apprehend that sewage might have been seeping into the conduits of potable water.

Residents of the 'B' category houses pointed out that the tap water they were receiving had a foul smell which might be dangerous. As such, they said, they were forced to opt for private tanker water which was very expensive.

They urged the city nazim and KWSB managing director to direct the concerned officials to rectify the fault responsible for the contamination to avoid spread of water-borne diseases in the area.

MNA Ms Gul-i-Farkhanda, who returned home on Sunday after a two-week visit abroad, told Dawn that she was appalled to see the dirty, stinking water being supplied to the area.

"If the situation continues, I fear a Hyderabad-like situation may emerge where many people had died after consuming contaminated water. I have just heard that our tenants have also moved to some other place for fear of their health." She urged the authorities to take immediate corrective measures.

Complaints of persisting water shortage have been received from Clifton's block 2, Gulshan-i-Iqbal's block 2 and 13-D/1, Baghdadi's D. D. Chaudhry Road, parts of Kharadar, Ranchor Line, Orangi Town's UC-9 and Adamjee Nagar.

Residents of the affected localities also complained of water shortage and deplored that although the problem had been persisting for the past several months, the KWSB officials had not yet bothered to restore normal supply despite a number of complaints having been lodged with them.

SEWAGE: Filthy water gushing out of obsolete pipeline often remain stagnant on Kharadar's Bagh-i-Zehra Street, creating unhygienic condition, besides causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.

People residing on either side of the affected street complained that the filthy water, on the one hand, had polluted the environment of the whole locality and, on the other, had been causing extensive damage to the street. They demanded that the sewage line be laid immediately so that the work on the repair or the street could be started.