August 02, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 1: Despite light to moderate showers that lashed the city for two consecutive days acute water shortage persisted in different localities on Friday, adding to the miseries of the poor who could not afford to buy water through private tankers.

In the absence of piped water, they had no choice but to consume subsoil unhygienic water at the cost of their health.

The city’s water supply situation started deteriorating on Tuesday when almost all the pumping stations of the water board were affected by a major breakdown of electricity network. The power outages continued at all the major pumping stations till Wednesday night, causing a shortfall of over 185mgd water – nearly one third of the city’s total water supply of 625mgd. Subsequently, most areas in the city either went dry or received scant water supply during the last couple of days.

Admitting that some parts of the city was still experiencing acute water shortage though the bulk supply department considerably succeeded in offsetting the huge shortage of water it had suffered, KWSB engineers said the city’s water distribution system, which was badly affected owing to recurring power outages at the local pumping stations, had so far not been able to implement the schedule of water supply to certain localities.

They were, however, optimistic that the city’s overall water supply position will be normalised by Saturday. As a matter of the fact, they elaborated, the city’s water supply situation had worsened because most parts of the city were supplied water on alternative days and as such all those localities which went dry on their turn of getting the supply had to go without water for three consecutive days.

Moreover, there were some localities which could not get their full quota of water during the last three days as their water supplying schedule was disrupted, they added.

Complaints pertaining to acute water shortage continued to pouring in from Malir, Khokarapar, Orangi, Baldia, Keamari, Landhi, Site, Block 12 of Federal B’ Area, Block P (Hussain D’ Silva Town) of North Nazimabad, Kharadar, parts of Lyari, North Karachi, old city areas, KDA Scheme-33, different blocks of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, cooperative housing societies of Jamshed and Gulshan towns, Mehmoodabad and Azam Basti.

Residents of the affected localities complained that private water tankers fleeced consumers in the absence of piped water supply.