KARACHI, Sept 13: Various localities belonging to former districts East, South and West experienced acute water shortage on the eve of Ramazan, forcing residents of the affected localities to either purchase private tankers at exorbitant rates or consume sub-soil unhygienic water.

The hardest-hit localities included Clifton’s blocks 2, 4 and 5, parts of Gulshan-i-Faisal (Bath Island), Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 2, 10-A, 13-D, 13D/1, Gulistan-i-auhar’s blocks 12 and 17, Jinnah Cooperative Housisng Society, Al-Hamra Society, parts of Mohammad Ali Society, Bangalore Town, Adamjee Nagar, PECHS Block 6 (Greenbelt Area), Mehmoodabad, Manzoor Colony, Lyari’s D. D. Chaudhy Road, parts of Baghdadi, Pak Colony, SITE (both residential and industrial areas) and sectors of Orangi and Baldia townships.

Residents of the affected localities complained that though they had been facing water shortage for a couple of days, on Thursday their localities either remained completely dry or received water for a short duration with low pressure.

Complaints of persisting water shortage have also been received from residents of multi-storied apartment buildings in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

Residents of Ambareen Apartments, Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 2, deplored that although they had been deprived of water for the previous six days, the KWSB officials continued to ignore their repeated complaints.

Similar complaints were received from residents of different apartment buildings of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, including Sheraton, Erum, Dashtiar, Civic View and Hassan Square (Extension) apartment buildings.

Accusing the officials concerned of creating an artificial water shortage on the eve of Ramazan, residents of the affected apartment buildings alleged that the valve-men and their supervisory staff often reduced the pressure of their supply by tempering with the valves either to give a boost to sales of the private tankers mafia or to build pressure on their respective unions for jacking up the amount of illegal gratification for restoring normal supply.