SUKKUR, Nov 14: A large part of Sukkur has been facing a shortage of drinking water due to a drop in the level of water in the Indus river.

The affected areas include Takkar Muhalla, Mianara Road, Outer Signal, New Pind, Shalimar, Regent Colony and Bakhar Chowk.

People in many localities of the city where supplies continued uninterrupted complained of getting contaminated water.

Long queues of women and children could be seen in front of pumping stations where water was being sold at exorbitant rates.

According to experts, citizens were paying dearly for failure of the authorities to make alternative arrangements from the Bakhar Island.

According to them, they had faced a similar situation at the end of almost every summer season at the hands

of the Taluka Municipal Administration and before handover of water supply to the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC).

If the NSUSC had built a jetty at the Bakhar Island and supplied water up to water works from there, the crisis could have been averted, they observed.

A spokesman for NSUSC, Muneem Domki, said supplies would improve only if the irrigation department raised the flow. He said that 60 per cent of supply from Bunder Road treatment plant and 40 per cent from Maka treatment plant continued.

He said water was being provided to Bunder Road treatment plant from the Indus while Maka treatment plant was getting its share from the Khirthar canal.

Currently there was a shortage in the Indus as well as in Khirthar canal because of which parts of the city were facing a shortage.