04 November 2004	Thursday	20 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 3: Despite tall claims by the city government, the shortage of potable water persists and the obsolete sewerage system in Lyari makes the life of local people miserable.

"Anybody can see the poor women wandering in the neighbouring streets to fetch water," said Abdul Razzak Baloch, an office- bearer of the Lyari Community Development Project while talking to PPI on Wednesday.

"The organization has asked the area councillor of Lyari UC-8 several times about the water shortage, dilapidated roads and choking sewerage system but he simply said they had no funds to meet these requirements," Abdul Razzak said.

Dwellers of Shah Beg Lane, Kalri, Eddo Lane, Rexar Lane and Juman Shah are facing acute shortage of water.

People alleged that service stations, warehouses and ice factories located in neighbourhood of the area have been given illegal connections and local people are unable to get sufficient water through government-laid pipelines.

Abdul Hai Baloch, another activist, said that the major cause of water shortage was old pipelines which were either dilapidated or having low capacity which could not meet the needs.

He said that the area population had increased 10 times in 30 to 40 years, hence the old pipelines should be replaced immediately to solve the problem.

Mohammad Ismail Baloch said that several leaders had come to their area and promised to make Lyari the most attractive area of the city, but, none of them fulfilled their promises.

The activists said that the city government had nothing for the people of old city area. Town Nazim himself is powerless and could not receive his share from the city government, they added. -PPI