THATTA, May 7: Severe shortage of water for over two weeks has forced over 70,000 people to use highly contaminated water from ditches and swamps or purchase water at exorbitant prices.

Thirsty and exhausted people, who took to streets on Sunday to protest against the shortage, told Dawn that the city administration could overcome the crisis by taking water from the KDA canal, a lifeline for Karachi, or from Gharo filter plant as the poorly planned water supply system through KB Feeder lower was causing periodical crisis.

They said that people had been raising the problem of non-chlorination and non-filtration of water being supplied to them but their cries had always fallen on deaf ears.

The protesters claimed that two overhead tanks, each having 50,000 gallons capacity, had been out of order and six town reservoirs were getting contaminated by waste from slaughterhouse and poultry farms situated near them but the district government officials did not seem bothered at all.

The acute shortage of water has forced the residents of poor localities to fetch water from the nearby ditches because a water tanker, which was usually sold for Rs300 to Rs500, is now selling for Rs1000 to Rs1,200.

A ten litre water can which was sold for Rs10 and delivered at the doorsteps is now available for Rs30 to Rs40 in various areas.

PHONES: Hundreds of phones fell dead on Monday after unknown cable thieves sawed off parts of underground cable for the sixth time in months near Edhi Centre on the National Highway.