KARACHI, July 23: Valve operation in certain densely populated localities of Lyari Town has almost become ineffective owing to the continued siege of Jehanabad by police since July 16 , resulting in an acute water shortage in the besieged locality and its adjoining areas.

Law-enforcement agencies have laid the siege to Jehanabad and cordoned off its entry/exit points to flush out gangsters and arrest their ring-leader. Due to the operation, involving more than 350 jawans and commandos, the valvemen have been facing problems in discharging their duties effectively and efficiently to ensure regular supply and distribution of water.

Some of the affected residents revealed to Dawn that most of the valvemen were not being allowed by the law-enforcement agencies to move into the locality. As such, they added, the task of valve operation in many cases was being performed by residents themselves.

Confirming the water supply and distribution in the area having been affected badly and people's move to take over the valve operation, sources in the KWSB said that because of the valvemen's inability to have access to their places of duty, the utility could not ensure an equal distribution of water among the affected areas of Lyari.

NORTH KARACHI: More than 250 houses in North Karachi's Sector 5-D have been without water for many days. Residents of the affected area said that prior to the suspension of supply, they had been receiving contaminated water.

When the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned KWSB officials, the supply was stopped. Since then, they added, no measures have been taken to rectify the fault and resume the supply of clean water to the area. They appealed to the KWSB authorities to look into the matter.