0
KARACHI, July 27: Acute water shortage has continued to persist in Orangi, Baldia, North Karachi and Surjani townships for the last one week due to short supply of water from the Hub dam source.
Although water supply from the dam on Saturday increased to 15 million gallons as compared to Thursday’s 12.5mgd, several parts of the townships, except Surjani which has already been deprived of water from the Hub source, either went dry or received scanty supply.
Residents of different sectors of Orangi, Baldia and North Karachi said since they had been facing acute water shortage for the last one week, they have no choice but to either buy water at exorbitant rates or to consume sub-soil unhygienic water.
The KWSB officials have planned to meet the water requirements of Surjani Town by diverting water from the Indus through the north-east Karachi (NEK) pumping station.
However, the residents of the water-starved locality complained that the quantity of water being supplied to them through the NEK pumping station was insufficient, because the KWSB was nowadays releasing the water to their township for only eight hours after a gap of every 72 hours, whereas previously when their locality was hooked to the Hub source, they used to get the supply for 12 hours after every 72 hours.
MUDDY WATER: Various parts of the city have been receiving muddy water for the last one month.
The worst-hit areas which have continuously being supplied muddy water since early July include PECHS Blocks 2 and 6, Khokhrapar’s Saudia Colony, Federal B. Area, Kharadar, Nazimabad, parts of North Nazimabad and Liaquatabad.
The residents of the affected localities complained that a number of people, particularly children and elderly people, have suffered from abdominal diseases due to continuous consumption of the muddy water.
Confirming that the cases of severe stomach pain and gastroenteritis have been on the increase, a senior RMO at the Civil Hospital, Dr Nadeem Siddiqui, told Dawn that most of the victims were children and elderly people.
Describing the muddy water currently being supplied to most parts of the city as ‘impure’ and ‘unhygienic’, the doctor, whose speciality is dermatology, said inferior quality water was not only responsible for abdominal diseases but was also causing skin diseases.
He advised the people to properly boil the water before # consuming it or else they would be exposed to serious stomach disorders as well as to different types of skin diseases.
CONTAMINATION: Complaints of receiving contaminated water have also been received from the residents of PECHS Block 2.
People residing in the vicinity of PECHS’ Senior Model School said although they were being supplied stinking water for the last five/six days, the KWSB officials have failed to rectify the fault.
Suspecting that sewage might be seeping into their pipeline, they urged City Nazim and senior officials of the KWSB to order the concerned staff to rectify the fault.
