KARACHI, May 15: Several sectors of Malir Colony and Khokarapar, having a population of over 100,000, often remain dry owing to the ill-planned water distribution system and diversion of water to the nearby cattle-pans and agricultural farms.

The hard-hit areas include Saudia Colony’s Sectors 8-A and B, G, H, F-N, D, D-1, D-2, E, F-South, S-3, Liaquat Market’s C Area, C, D-3, D-4, Alimabad, Kausar Town, Pak Kausar Town, Indus Mehran and their adjoining localities.

Voicing concern over the demonstrations which have been taking place in front of the Malir Town administration’s office, the Town’s Naib Nazim, Mohammad Wasim Mirza, apprehended that the persisting water shortage problem might create a law and order situation, if the KWSB failed to take immediate measures for ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted supply to the affected localities.

“The residents of the affected localities of Malir Town cannot afford to buy private tankers. They are supplied water after every 48 hours with a very low pressure and whenever there is some power breakdown at the concerned pumping stations these localities go completely dry for 96 hours,” he said.

Stressing the need for resolving the lingering water issue of Malir Town’s affected localities on war-footing basis, he said that although a proposal for laying a 10-inch dia pipeline at an estimated cost of Rs20 million had, in principle, been approved, but the KWSB’s chief engineer (water supply) was not willing to provide them connection from the nearby Dumlottee conduit.

He said that water to the affected localities was, at present, being supplied from Shaheed the Chowk pumping station after being diverted from the Saudabad pumping station; with the laying of the proposed 10-inch dia pipeline, the water problem of the affected localities would be resolved to a great extent.