KARACHI, July 23: Various parts of the city have been getting muddy water for a fortnight.

Describing the quality of water currently being supplied to various parts of the metropolis as ‘unhygienic’ and ‘impure’, doctors have advised the people to boil the water before consuming it, or else they might become victims of serious abdomen diseases.

Although the KWSB officials attribute the cause of muddy water to the rains, residents of the affected localities suspect that the water they are being supplied for the last two week is not being properly filtered at the KWSB’s COD and the North-East Karachi filter plants.

The worst affected localities include Khokarapar’s Saudia Colony, Pak Kausar Town, Kausar Town, G and H Area; Lyari’s Nawabad, Behar Colony, almost all blocks of Federal B’ Area, PECHS Block 2 and 6, Mehmoodabad No 1, Lines Area, Khudadad Colony, Muslimabad, Catholic Colony.

A complainant from North Nazimabad Block B said his locality was getting exceedingly muddy water and the matter had been reported to the KDA, the Water Board and the city town committee, but to no avail. “The officials tell us that almost the whole city is getting such water and they can do nothing about it. We wonder what they are there for,” He said.

Complaints of acute water shortage have also kept on pouring from different parts of the city.

People residing near Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s NIPA roundabout complain that although they have been without water for the last one month, no official of the KWSB has so far taken measures to restore the supply despite a number of complaints lodged with them.

The other localities where acute water shortage has been persisting for the last five/six days include Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 10-A, Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s Noman Avenue, Block 1 of Metroville-III and Block ‘L’ of Metroville (SITE), Orangi’s Mominabad, Korangi’s Behar Colony.

Residents of the affected localities have demanded of the city Nazim and senior officials of the KWSB to immediately restore normal supply of water to their localities as they cannot afford to buy private water tankers at exorbitant rates.

Accusing the concerned officials of creating an artificial water shortage, people residing in the vicinity of PECHS’ (Block 2) Senior Model School and Sindhi Muslim Housing Society, say that off-and-on water shortage force them to buy private tankers which are being sold in their locality at Rs400 and 500 per tanker.