KARACHI, June 5: Many parts of the city go without water in the sultry weather due to power breakdowns and mismanagement by valve operators. However, a population of over 8,000 has remained deprived of potable water for the last 26 days in North Karachi’s Sir Syed Town.

They have appealed to the City Nazim to pay attention to their plight and ensure justice with the population.

Residents of Sector 11C-1 and 11C-2, recalling their plight, told Dawn that the KWSB officials had failed to attend their complaints due to their callous attitude and greed for money which they were reportedly getting from builders constructing highrise apartments in the vicinity.

They said whenever they complained of water scarcity to the Executive Engineer, Abrar Alvi, he offered empty sympathies and without any remedy to the suffering population located at a distance from the main pipeline.

The affected families narrating their vows said that during the last 26 days, the people belonging to the lower-income group have been relying on brackish water drawn from hand pumps as they cannot afford the bottled water available in stores. As a result, almost all those consuming the water have been suffering from stomach ailments.

Pointing out the reason of the water shortage in the area, they said that it was due to the black sheep in the KWSB who were hand-in-glove with the builders. In order to continue water supply to the builders, the concerned staff, instead of opening full valve, keeps the water pressure low, making it only available to the houses located near the main pipeline or in the low-lying areas, while the rest of the area goes without water for want of pressure.

They said that earlier, the area people used to get water after every five days, which they used to store for drinking and cooking. But since the last 26 days, they have been kept deprived of water which had created unrest among residents and could give rise to an unpleasant situation.