KARACHI: Dozens of residents of Block-B of North Nazimabad on Saturday strongly protested over a water connection given to the Ziauddin Hospital from the main 48-inch pipeline of the neighbourhood and uprooted the two-inch pipe going to the private health facility.

However, a contingent of police and district administration officials immediately reached the spot and dispersed the protesters, who said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board had deprived the residents of their due share of water by giving the water connection to the private hospital from the main line.

The residents took to streets after one of the concerned citizens uploaded a video of the work being carried out in early hours of Saturday morning to lay down the connection.

The residents alleged that the hospital was owned by one of the leaders of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party and it was given the water connection due to his influence.

However, the water utility said that the hospital had applied for a water connection which was granted after following ‘all formalities’ under the rules and regulation.

Deputy commissioner of the district Central Taha Saleem claimed that the water connection of two-inch line was sanctioned to the hospital in May this year.

He said that the residents had damaged the line and the KWSB approached the police for safety of the staff on the spot.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2022