HYDERABAD, April 24: Taking serious notice of shortage of drinking water and supply of contaminated water in many parts of the city, Hyderabad Development Authority director-general Ali Ahmed Lund visited the River Indus on Saturday.
He was accompanied by the Water and Sanitation Agency managing director, the Hussainabad union council-1 Nazim, Latifabad UC-7 Nazim Mohammad Ibrahim Chishti and other officials.
The director-general urged the Hyderabad and Dadu DPOs to immediately stop the entry of buffaloes in the river.
Expressing concern over the discharge of sewerage water of Qasimabad taluka in the river, he directed the WASA MD and other officials not to release the sewage in the river but to dispose of the same in a pond.
He also appealed to the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply to enable the agency to maintain regular water supply to consumers.
Meanwhile, residents of Amani Shah Colony, Latifabad, held a demonstration outside the local press club to protest against the acute shortage of potable water.
Talking to journalists, the residents said they did not face any water shortage from November 2003 to February this year but no water was supplied to them in the preceding eight months although they were paying their bills regularly.
A water tank was sanctioned at the colony Eidgah and funds were also released in this regard but no steps were taken to build the tank, they said.
They appealed to the authorities concerned to erect the tank immediately to ensure regular water supply to the residents.
DEMO: Tail-end growers of the Chakar Shah Shakh, Bukerai sub- division, staged a sit-in here on Saturday outside the office of the Rohri Canal irrigation superintending engineer to protest against the acute shortage of water in the canal.
Speaking to the protesters, a leader of the growers said for the last four days, they had been protesting outside the office of the Chambar SDO while the office lay closed.
He said no irrigation official was prepared to meet them and alleged that the water share of the tail-enders was being sold by the officials.
If the tail-enders were not provided their share, they would hold protest demonstrations outside the Governor and Chief Minister houses, he warned.