HYDERABAD, July 10: Residents of low-lying areas of the district on Thursday continued to face problems in the wake of rains as stagnant rainwater has mixed with drainage water, posing health hazard to the people.
Rainwater is still standing in areas of Gharib Nawaz Colony, Al-Shafiq Colony, Sabzi Mandi, Noorani Basti and Latifabad, unit-5, 10, and 11.
The situation in various localities of the Qasimabad taluka is also pathetic as there is no proper drainage system to dispose of the water.
Latifabad Taluka Nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan and Water and Sanitation Agency managing director M. Tahir visited different areas in the taluka on Thursday to see the situation.
The Nazim said rainwater was standing in Al-Shafiq and Gharib Nawaz colonies and it was creating problems for inhabitants. He said he had commissioned a pumping machine to the area to drain out the water as there was no drainage line. He said the situation in Latifabad, unit-5, 10 and 11 was no different where people had also been complaining of shortage of drinking water.
The Wasa MD said there was no sewerage system in Al-Shafiq.
About accumulation of water in streets of Latifabad, unit-11, he said a sewerage line was being laid there.
The MD said drinking water was being supplied to all the areas as water works of Wasa in the City and Latifabad were getting regular supply of electricity.
HDA: Latifabad Taluka Nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan has said the Hyderabad Development Authority and the Water and Sanitation Agency should be devolved at the taluka level in accordance with the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2002.
Talking to this correspondent here on Thursday, he threatened that he along with Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors of 17 union councils of the taluka would observe a hunger strike if the Sindh government did not devolve the HDA and Wasa in 10 days.
He said Nazims of union and taluka councils had always been criticized for failure of Wasa and the HDA, which were under the control of the Sindh ministry for local bodies.
He said Nazims were being blamed for accumulation of rainwater despite they were working round-the-clock to ensure that the standing water was drained out. He said they had been visiting rain-hit areas, ensuring that the people were provided with relief. He said they had also provided pumping machines and generators to some areas as Wasa and the HDA lacked proper machinery for draining out water.
The taluka Nazim complained that despite repeated requests irrigation authorities were not reducing water flow of the Phulelli Canal so that rainwater could be drained out.