DADU, April 1: Water supply and drainage systems of Sehwan had collapsed due to apathy of the Taluka Municipal Administration, according to a survey conducted by this correspondent.

The worst affected areas are Station Road, Kehar Colony, Bodlo Bahar and Kangri where gutters and open drains are overflowing and heaps of garbage are accumulated.

In Sabzwari Mohalla, a PPP MPA told this correspondent that due to lack of resources, the TMA had failed to tackle problems of sanitation, drainage and water supply.

He said that only 20 sanitary workers were available in the town with a population of 95,000 people. Talti union council Nazim Sikandar Rahupoto alleged that taluka municipal officer Zakir Radhan was appointed on political basis and he was not interested in resolving the problems.

He claimed that for the last six months, the residents were facing a shortage of water and failure of drainage system. He alleged that most of the sanitary workers were getting salaries without doing their work and added that they worked at the houses of influential people.

He said that the TMA recovered different taxes but failed to provide basic facilities. UC-I Nazim Khadim Hussain Solangi said that the public health engineering department had not handed over two almost-completed water supply schemes to the TMA. He added that only two pumps at a cost of Rs2,000 were to be installed for making the schemes operative.

He said that since the laying of water supply lines ten years ago, the population of Sehwan had increased from 45,000 to 95,000. He added that the lines remained broken at some places with the result that water got mixed with sewage.

He further said that the administration was providing only 2,000 gallons of water daily instead of 5,000 gallons. The DCO said attention was being paid to the issues of sanitation, drainage and water supply and directives had been issued to the TMA.

District Nazim Malik Asad Sikandar said that drainage and roads schemes were approved for the town and more schemes would follow as special budget would be released to UC Nazims of the taluka. He promised that old systems of drainage and water supply would be replaced. The TMO refused to comment and the taluka Nazim was not available.