November 26, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 27, 1429

KARACHI, Nov 25: Despite the arrival of winter when the overall water demand is comparatively small, residents of Bhitai Colony are facing acute scarcity of water as the authorities concerned have adopted a “complicated procedure” of water supply to the area.

Residents of the locality, which falls under the supervision of the Cantonment Board Korangi Creek, told Dawn that around 90 per cent people of the area depended on tankers for their water needs because the dilapidated pipelines had ceased to function while no major uplift scheme had been initiated over the years to repair or replace those lines.

They said though water was provided to the taxpaying public through a tanker service against the sum of Rs200 (receipt Rs50 and tanker charges Rs150) it had become very difficult for women and elderly people to avail the service.

According to a newly-adopted formula, the residents have to collect a receipt for water from the cantonment dispensary office early in the morning to avail the service for that day. Only 40 receipts are issued daily on a first-come-first-served basis and people in an effort to secure a receipt start queuing up in the small hours.

“I visited the dispensary office at around 5am on Tuesday in order to obtain a water receipt. But a staff member of the cantonment board advised me to go back and come even early tomorrow as 40 people have already been standing in the queue,” a resident said. Another resident told Dawn that he reached the dispensary office after 4am and fortunately found himself among the first 40s. However, he said that he along with others were forced to wait for the councillor for hours in the cold. “In fact the councillor, who issues water receipts, comes after seven.”

Attempts were made to contact the chief executive officer of the Cantonment Board Korangi Creek to obtain his version in this regard. However, his secretary told Dawn that he was out of the city while his cellular phone was switched off.