January 16, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 06, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 15: Residents of Bhitai Colony, which is under the supervision of the Cantonment Board Korangi Creek, are facing acute shortage of water as the CBKC authorities have stopped water supply through tankers to the areas for last three days.

The staff at the CBKC’s water pump in the area say that the pump has developed some “serious faults”, forcing the suspension of supply.

Almost 90 per cent of the population of the locality depends on tankers as the water pipelines there have almost collapsed.

The CBKC tanker, which supplies water to the cantonment office and residences of its officials, is still operating despite the pump being nonfunctional due to the “serious faults”.

Residents of the locality told Dawn that it’s a complicated procedure to obtain a tanker trip from the pump.

“First we have to collect a water receipt on payment Rs55 from the cantonment office early in the morning, and then submit it to the water pump. The real trouble begins there as we are left at the mercy of the pump operator. It is up to him how and when he will give us water. There are many water receipts lying there for the last two months and people visit the pump almost on a daily basis to seek water. The pump staff give them different excuses. On the other hand, influential people obtain water through urgent receipts,” a resident said.

“It is the third time in the last two months that the water pump has developed faults and no alternative arrangements are made,” another resident remarked.

Residents said they were paying Rs1,440 as water tax on an 80-square-yard house annually, but were made to suffer severe water shortage even in the winter.

The residents further said that when they asked the pump operator that if the pump was nonfunctional, how was it possible that the CBKC’s tanker was still operating. They said the pump operator misbehaved with them, and said: “Don’t ask me this question. Go to the office and ask this from the officials there.”

CBKC sub-engineer Shamim Haider Zaidi when contacted told Dawn, “No private tanker is operating and don’t talk about the CBKC’s tanker.” However, he avoided to comment on the pump’s status whether it was faulty or not.

Many attempts were made to contact the executive officer of the CBKC, Irfan Asghar, to find his version in this regard, but his secretary said he was busy in meetings.