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SUKKUR, Oct 25: City people are facing an acute shortage of drinking water apparently caused by 15-18 hours drawn-out and undeclared loadshedding, which does not spare even basic civic services.
The taluka municipal administration blamed the Sukkur unit of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company for causing the shortage because the company officials were no ready to exempt even water pumping machines from loadshedding.
It had become very difficult to supply water to people without interruption in 15 to 18 hours loadshedding, the TMA officials said and added that Sukkur City taluka nazim had requested the high-ups of Hesco to exempt water works from loadshedding but so far his request had not been acceded to.
People were seen carrying cans and rums to hand-pumps installed in the low-lying areas of the city to fetch water. Residents of thickly-populated areas including, New Pind, Old Sukkur, Shalimar road, Bakhar chowk, Neem Ki Chari, Minara road, Queens road, Gharib Abad, Takkar Muhalla, Bunder road, Site area and Bhoosa Lane were the worst hit because they did not have drinking water for the past many days.
WORK STOPPED: Work on the development works worth Rs10 million have come to a halt due to unavailability of funds after cut in Sukkur City taluka council’s share in Octroi Zila Tax by the Sindh government.
The taluka faced difficulty running administrative matters and work on development programmes in the city had slowed down or come to a stop after the taluka failed to pay Rs4.5 million to contractors, said taluka officer of finance Nadeem Akhtar.
He said that the taluka council could overcome this problem after the release of its full share in Octroi zila tax.
