KARACHI, Feb 15: The villagers in Gabopat Union Council area will organise a protest march on February 17 against perennial water shortage in their locality. The march will begin from the UC office and terminate at the Keamari Town office.

This decision was taken at a joint meeting of elders of the union council, also attended by Pakistan Fishermen Forum chairman Mohammad Ali Shah and UC Nazim Mubarak Singu.

The participants also decided to rally in front of the Karachi Press Club on February 20 which would be largely attended by the villagers as well as fishermen of the affected areas.

The participants of the meeting also warned that if the authorities failed to address their grievances, they would stage sits-in on the main Hawkesbay Road every Sunday.

They criticised the indifferent attitude of the town nazim towards the water crisis in the Gabopat villages.

More than 300 fishermen villages in Gabopat UC areas are still without proper water supply facilities despite repeated requests made by the area people.

According to area residents, in 1984 the authorities had built a pumping station and laid pipelines.

But they regretted to say that water supply had not been restored despite the fact millions of rupees had been paid.

The affected areas comprise villages of Lal Bakar, Mandiari, Mann, Allaha Banu, Mowach, Gabopat and Chattara. The PFF also decided to hold similar rallies in other fishermen villages against water shortage.