HYDERABAD, June 28: Water crisis continued here on Wednesday, the second consecutive day, as people took to roads and pelted vehicles with stones to protest non-availability of water for a couple of days.
The Tando Yousuf police have booked around 70 people for blocking the Punjab-bound Awami Express for one hour and pelting the train with stones.
Protests began on Tuesday when people of Tando Yousuf area and Liaquat colony blocked main roads against water shortage in their localities.
They said the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) turned a deaf ear to their complaints.
The people of Tando Yousuf on Tuesday blocked the Awami Express on main track near the Hyderabad railway station for half an hour.
Protesters also burnt tyres near Fareed Plaza, saying that they were facing great inconvenience because of serious water shortage and sizzling heat.
The protests continued on Wednesday as people burnt tyres near the Gharib Nawaz bridge roundabout, Tilak In-cline, Talab No-3, Gau Shala, Guru Nagar.
In some areas, women and children joined men carrying empty utensils as a mark of protest.
Widespread demonstrations caused traffic jams in parts of Hyderabad also indicated that water crisis has deepened while Wasa and the Hyderabad Development Officials (HDA) claimed that only one per cent of the area connected with water supply system was facing shortage.
People of UC-5 burnt tyres on the Tilak In-cline road and pelted vehicles with stones for around one hour. The in-cline is one of the busiest roads where protests result in chaotic traffic conditions.
Police officials rushed to the spot, but protesters refused to hear them, saying that they were affected by shortage of water and disruption power supply.
They ended the protest after realising that the protest led to a big traffic blockade.
The two days of protests are also reflective of the fact that stand-by generators, purchased by district government for meeting such emergencies, have yet to be made functional.
Wasa is operating 10 water tankers, but people insist on getting water from natural reservoirs.
The areas connected with Hala Naka water works remained worst affected as Wasa officials said they were at the tail-end of the system.
According to HDA Director-General Tahir Ahmed, so far one water supply and six sewerage standby generators had been installed and remaining would be installed in due course of time because their changeovers were being purchased.
He attributed water crisis to frequent power breakdowns and said that areas of Usmanabad, Tando Tayyab, Tando Mir Mehmood, Effendi Town, Guru Nagar, Makrani para, Talab number-3 were dependent on Hala Naka water works for supply of water.