KARACHI, Aug 29: Water shortage persisted in various parts of the city on Sunday, leaving no choice for the residents of affected localities but to either purchase private tankers at exorbitant rates or consume sub-soil unhygienic water.

The hard-hit localities include Shershah, Kharadar, Baghdadi's D.D. Chaudhry Road, Haquani Chowk, Pakistan Chowk, Clifton's Block 2, PECHS 'E' Market area, SITE's residential and industrial areas, and various sectors of Orangi, Baldia and North Karachi.

Affected residents complained that although water problem in their localities had become a routine matter, the KWSB officials concerned had not yet taken measures to ensure uninterrupted supply despite lodging a number of written and verbal complaints with them.

According to residents of the old city area, particularly those residing in and around Haquani and Pakistan chowks, they were totally depending on brackish water of wells because piped water had become a scarce commodity for them.

They regretted that water shortage problem in their localities had been persisting since the beginning of summer, but the KWSB officials concerned had so far failed to restore normal supply.

Complaining about a similar problem, people residing on either side of Baghdadi's D.D. Chaudhry Road and in the vicinity of Lyari Telephone Exchange deplored that a water crisis had been persisting in their locality for the last one month, however, no senior officials had so far made serious efforts to provide them any relief.

"We have so far lodged at least 20 written complaints with all junior and senior officers of the KWSB but none of them have taken up the matter seriously," remarked an elderly person of the locality.

A similar complaint has been received from the residents of Orangi Town's Union Council No 9. A councillor of UC-9, Aftab Alam, complained that a number of localities of the UC had either been getting scant supply or contaminated water for the last couple of months, but the KWSB officials concerned had neither restored normal supply nor had they taken any measures to rectify the fault responsible for contaminated water despite several complaints.

Attributing the cause of contaminated water to a leaking pipeline, he said that a 15-inch dia pipeline which was passing through a nullah was damaged more than two months back during the nullah's cleaning. According to him, the worst affected localities included Junaid Nagar, Pakistan Bazaar, Ghausia Baloch Colony, Benazir Colony and its adjoining areas.