KARACHI, Sept 18: The Sindh Minister for Local Government, Dewan Mohammed Yousuf Farooqui has taken serious note of the press reports that residents of Sindhi Para, Shanti Nagar, Union Council No 7, Gulshan Town, have been without water for over three weeks, despite the fact that they have paid half a million rupees to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for regularization of the water supply system, and also owing to the theft of pumping machines by miscreants.

In his directives to the managing director KWSB on Wednesday, Dewan Yousuf asked him to look into the matter and solve the problem of the residents of Sindhi Para, and to also take necessary action into the theft of pumping machines.

The residents of Sindhi Para had complained that the water supply system of the locality was handed over to the KWSB two months back, along with pumping machines and a pump house. A payment of about Rs0.5 million was also made to regularize the system. Water supply continued for about a month on alternate days against the approved schedule of two hours daily, but then, all of a sudden, the supply was discontinued. It was learnt that some miscreants from another locality — having the patronage of some councillors of that area — had stolen two motor pumps.

The KWSB authorities were informed, who in turn asked the UC Nazim, who reportedly was aware of the incident and also of the culprits, yet he did not take any action. The residents, when approached, were told by the Nazim that the machines were out of order and were taken away by some persons. He also refused to get them repaired and reinstalled. In the meantime however, a machine was installed again to release water to some other localities illegally, depriving residents of Sindhi Para who had been paying for the water, maintenance of the system and salary of the valve-man.—PPI