HYDERABAD, May 11: A large number of people resorted to violence on Friday to lodge their protest against severe shortage of water in parts of the city.

They didn't allow trains to cross the Tando Yousuf railway crossing, causing inconvenience to passengers.

The angry protesters consisting of residents of Millatabad, Islamabad, Gujrati Para, Jurial Shah Colony in Tando Tayyab localities that are located in UC-14 of city taluka, came out on the roads to vent their anger against non-supply of water in the sizzling heat. They also claimed that their areas were also hit by load-shedding.

They were led by Zubair, Nadeem Sheikh, Zareen Khatoon, Farhat, Waqar Ellahi.

It all began at around 10am when water consumers turned violent and lit bonfires. They closed the Tando Yousuf railway crossing and forced the signal operators to leave the area, rendering signalling system non-functional.

Resultantly around half a dozen trains of Up and Down country including Hazara, Shah Rukn-e-Alam and Shalimar Express, that were destined for Up-country, and Down-country trains Fareed, Karachi and Sukkur Express, were detained at different stations.

The Multan-bound Fareed Express was halted at the Hyderabad railway station. “The arrival and departure of trains was delayed for around one hour and 45 minutes”, said Station Superintendent Altaf Hussain Karmani. The trains were halted in Paleji, Hyderabad, Kotri, Meting and other railway stations. Passengers, who had been travelling for whole night, experienced untold miseries in sizzling heat as they remained confined in the compartments.

The Taluka City Nazim Javed Jabbar and Taluka Nazim Latifabad Sabir Kaimkhani, Managing Director Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Mishraz Siddiqui and the executive engineer rushed to the area to pacify protesters. However, the residents refused to listen to their arguments. The officials admitted that water shortages existed but it was due to some technical problems and not for any other reason.

“I spoke to protesters because their problem is genuine and long standing because the area is located at the tail-end of our water supply network”, said Javed Jabbar. He added that he talked to people of Millatabad and Islamabad, etc. to confirm that water supply had resumed.

Millatabad and Islamabad localities are located within the city taluka while Gujrati para is situated in Latifabad taluka. The areas are supplied water from Hala Naka water works where the present district government had ordered desilting of water settlement ponds but, according to Managing Director of WASA, Mishraz Siddiqu, the desilting had not yet been completed and ponds are not handed over to him.

He also attributed the problem to inter-connections of new water supply lines that has recently been laid through Gul Shah area to Tando Yousuf. “The inter-connections of pipeline which involves checking of water supply in the line off and on leads to problems of non-supply of water", said the MD who was attending a meeting with District Nazim regarding water supply issue on Friday night.

The residents of Malkani lane, Tilak in-incline also staged a protest demonstration against non-supply of drinking water and electricity.

They burnt tyres on the main roads. The Market police rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters to disperse as they would ensure water supply.