June 04, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1429

KARACHI, June 3: People protesting against shortage of water blocked a busy thoroughfare that links Baloch Colony with Defence, resulting in suspension of traffic on the road for more than four hours during the evening rush hours on Tuesday.

Hundreds of residents of Manzoor Colony, including women and children, gathered on Shaheed-i-Millat Extension Road to voice their anger over the suspension of water supply to their locality. The protesters also burnt tyres on the road and pelted passing vehicles with stones.

Holding placards inscribed with slogans such as ‘Pani do’ and ‘Don’t deprive us of water in the hot and humid weather’, the demonstrators chanted slogans against KWSB officials and the Jamshed Town municipal administration for not making alternative arrangements to supply water to their area.

Residents of the affected locality said that they used to get water through tankers from Muslimabad hydrant but after its closure two weeks back they had been deprived of water as neither the KWSB nor the town municipal administration concerned had made any alternative arrangement so far.

The presence of hundreds of protesters created a heavy traffic jam on the road and as such several vehicles remained stuck between the Baloch Colony traffic intersection and Qayyumabad flyover. The blockade also affected traffic on Korangi Road and Defence/Korangi industrial area.

A perturbed motorist said that it took him at least 45 minutes to cover distance from Baloch Colony traffic signal to Mehmoodabad signal.