KARACHI, Sept 23: Residents of several parts of the city have been experiencing an acute water shortage for the last four days.

The hard-hit areas include Dhoraji, Sharfabad, parts of PECHS Block 2, Lyari, Adamjee Nagar and Kharadar.

Residents of the water-starved areas complained that since their localities were either without water or getting scant supply for the last four days, they have no choice but to buy from private tankers at excessive rates.

They also complained that whenever they contacted the KWSBs complaint centre of their respective localities to know the cause of the water shortage, the officials concerned always assured them that the water supply position of the areas would improve the next day. But so far, they have failed to restore supply to the affected localities.

Accusing the staff concerned of the KWSB of creating an artificial water shortage in their localities to boost the sale of private tankers, they demanded of the KWSBs managing director to instruct the officials concerned to immediately restore the normal supply of water to their localities, as they cannot afford to purchase from private water tankers for a longer period.

Complaints of persisting water shortage have also been received from different sectors of Orangi, Baldia, Shershah, North Karachi and Surjani Townships, along with the SITE industrial area.

Residents of the affected sectors of the townships, as well as their Nazimeen and councillors, complained that although they had lodged a number of complaints with the executive engineers and sub engineers concerned of their localities, they have not yet taken measures to ensure adequate and uninterrupted water supply.

They urged the city Nazim to direct the KWSB to ensure that every sector of the townships which are being supplied water after a gap of four days for only two hours, to reduce the gap of their supply to two days, and to also increase its duration to four hours.