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KARACHI, Oct 30: Despite the release of water from different pumping stations, an acute shortage persisted in various parts of the city for the third consecutive day, Wednesday.
Though the KWSB’s officials had claimed on Tuesday that the overall water supply position, which had deteriorated due to Monday’s major power breakdowns at its pumping stations, would be normalized by Wednesday, complaints in a large number and from many areas of the city continued to pour in.
Most of the complainants lamented that due to the prolonged suspension of water supply, they had no choice but to pay no less than Rs400-500 for a private tanker.
Meanwhile, an extraordinarily increased movement of private water tankers on city roads was witnessed on Wednesday. Taking undue advantage of the persistent water shortage in the city, the tanker-owners charged an exorbitant rate for the commodity, especially for supplies in the water-starved localities.
Water supply to certain areas of the formerly South district was not restored on Wednesday by the KWSB under its plan of diverting Indus water to the areas hooked to Hub Dam. They include Old City Area, parts of Lyari, Garden East and West, Soldier Bazaar, Saddar, Shikarpur Colony and Cosmopolitan Society.
However, there were many other areas where water shortage persisted though the supply was not suspended by the KWSB. Such areas included Block 13-C of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, KDA Scheme No-1, North Karachi, Adamjee Nagar, Dhoraji Colony, Orangi, Surjani and Nawabad (Lyari).
Many of the residents of these localities, as well as those in Block 13-A and B of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Erum Palace (Phase I) and Khursheed Homes, complained that they had received not a single drop of water on since Monday. Some others complainants said that they received only a small quantity as it was a short period of supply and that, too, with low pressure.
The areas which would not receive water on Thursday have been notified as Landhi, Korangi, Defence Housing Authority, National Refinery, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Railways and PAF (Korangi) Base and its adjoining areas.
STRATEGY: The Sindh Chief Secretary, K. B. Rind, chaired a high level meeting at his office here on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing water crisis in Karachi and strategy to overcome it, agencies add.
The meeting also reviewed measures to ensure a smooth water supply in future and conserve the commodity.
Mr Rind asked Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for immediate measures to improve water supply position in the city. He directed the KWSB officials that while undertaking efforts to overcome the crisis, it should also plan an effective water supply system.
He further directed the Board to arrange for daily special bulletins on electronic media to keep the consumers informed of the expected disruption and supply position. He said that the media could also help the KWSB convince consumers to conserve water.
KWSB MD explained water supply position with the help of slides and charts on the occasion. He attributed the ongoing crisis to the depletion at Hub Dam.
