NAWABSHAH, May 27:The city dwellers face acute shortage of water after Gajrah Wah, the main source of drinking water for the city, has again been closed for a week under the water rotation programme.

The authorities of Nasrat irrigation division has closed the Wah due to shortage of water in the main Rohri Canal, which feeds the wah. Gajrah Wah had earlier been closed on May 8-16 and then opened for a week and again closed on May 23 for a week.

The residents of Manuabad, Essarpura, Gharibabad, Masjid Road, Hospital Road, Chakra Baazar, Camp No2, Police Lines, Mehran Colony, Taj Colony and Bhangwar Colony are the worst hit by the shortage.

Nawabshah TMO Nawaz Ali Domki said that the storage tanks of municipal administration near Gajrah Wah could store water for only more than two days. So they could not supply it because there was no water in the tanks, he said.

He said that it was the responsibility of irrigation department to make alternate arrangements and exempt Gajrah Wah from its rotation programme during such hot weather when water consumption reached its peak.

The executive engineer of Nusrat irrigation division was not available for comments while a lower grade official said on condition of anonymity that the municipal authorities were informed before the closure and advised to store water. The canal would now open on June 2, he said.

DCO Khurshid Naeem Malik said that he had called a meeting of officials concerned and said that alternate arrangements would be made for supplying water to the city at the earliest.

Meanwhile, residents of Taj Colony, Jamali Colony and Chandio Colony held demonstrations at different places of the city against shortage of water and unannounced load-shedding.