KARACHI, March 24: Most of the telephone numbers of the KWSB’s complaint centres, which were set up for registering complaints during Muharram holidays, were either found a hoax or inoperative or remained engaged most of the time on Sunday.

The complaint centres had been set up on the directives of the KWSB’s managing-director Brig Mohammad Behram Khan and the citizens were asked to lodge water and sewerage complaints at these centres from 9am to 9pm.

However, a random check of the complaint centres’ phone numbers by Dawn on Sunday showed that at least three telephone numbers (5838448, 8119610 and 9218213), belonging to the KSWB’s offices in Saddar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Shah Faisal towns, were even not listed and whenever these numbers were dialled the PTCL’s recorded message said: “The number you have dialled is not listed; please contact inquiry ‘17’ for assistance”. One can imagine the citizens’ frustration in getting in touch with the infamous inquiry ‘17’ for seeking help as it often remains busy either due to overloading of the system or because of the indifferent attitude of its staff.

When another phone (No 6673490), was contacted, about which the KWSB had said that it would receive complaints belonging to North Nazimabad Town, it was found temporarily disconnected according to the PTCL operator.

Yet another telephone number (7511251), meant for receiving complaints in Lyari Town, remained busy throughout the day. However, a resident of the area claimed that he had been responded once on 8th Muharram, but the woman who received the call had asserted that it was her residence phone number.

When the KWSB’s Korangi office was contacted on Sunday at around 7.15pm on its telephone No 5060119 meant for lodging sewerage-related complaints, the official who received the call said the staff next to his room had left the office due to non- availability of electricity. “In fact, we are also leaving the office as it is totally dark and mosquitoes are attacking us,” he frankly added.

No response was received, specially after 6pm, from other telephone numbers (2571858, 2568705, 2568705, 9248295, 9231884, 9248295, 5066468 and 6625519) catering to SITE, Baldia, Orangi, Saddar, Jamshed, Shah Faisal and North Nazimabad towns, although the timings of these centres as notified by the KWSB were from 9am to 9pm.

The two other phone numbers (6910042 and 9215776) set up for Gadap and Lyari towns remained engaged most of the time.

However, response was received from the complaint centres (2421985, 9201571, 6326360, 6312793, 6972886, 9230316, 9231218, 4515900, 9231466, 6312793 and 6972886) belonging to Saddar, Jamshed, Liaquatabad, Gulberg, Gulshan, New Karachi towns, besides its head office at Civic Centre’s annexe. The concerned executive engineers were also present at these centres.

Residents of some water-starved localities complained that despite numerous telephone calls, they could not lodge complaints as the telephone either remained unattended or the complaint centres were closed or not in use.