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Most Karachi areas without water for sixth day

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: For the sixth consecutive day in the current heat spell, districts Central and West and parts of districts East and South remained dry on Tuesday as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board neither resumed water supply partly closed for rationing water last Thursday nor made water supply through its contract water supply tankers.

On the pretext of water shortage, the KWSB on Thursday last suspended water supply to Nazimabad Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, North Nazimabad, Gulberg, Federal B Area, Rizvia Society, Old Golimar, Jehangirabad, Site Area, Pak Colony and its adjoining areas and continued to supply water to such areas where "brickbatting" on official vehicles is feared.

Extreme water shortage was reported from Drigh Road, Landhi and Korangi areas. Similarly, Soldier Bazar, Garden East, West, parts of main shopping centres of Saddar, M. A. Jinnah Road, and Bolton Market were badly hit by water shortage.

Site industrial and residential areas were also without proper water supply.

Khalid Malik, Chief Engineer, Water Supply, told Business Recorder that deficit areas could not be reached by the KWSB water tanker suppliers because of Section 144 imposed by the district administration on the movement of heavy vehicles on such roads as Shahre Faisal and Bunder Road (M. A. Jinnah Road).

He said the water tanker operators had protested against the highhandedness of the police who obstructed their movement on the roads closed for heavy traffic.

He said he, along with the representatives of the rangers, had met on Tuesday with the Commissioner of Karachi, Shafiq-ur-Rehman Piracha, who had refused KWSB's proposal to permit water tankers movement on roads affected by Section 144.

He said the commissioner had asked the KWSB to identify points from where the water tankers could cross Shahre Faisal and Bunder Road to reach water-short areas in districts West, Central, East and South.

Malik said by Wednesday afternoon, the position would normalise and water supply through tankers would resume.

Commissioner office sources said in strong words that the imposition of Section 144 to control the flow of heavy traffic on Shahre Faisal and Bunder Road (M. A. Jinnah Road) had in no way affected the activities of water tanker suppliers.

They indicated that the temporary suspension of water supply through water tanker "is an internal matter of the KWSB and it is a clash of personal interest."

Speaking on behalf of the commissioner, an official said the administration had in no way interrupted the smooth flow of vehicles performing emergency duties.

Insiders at the KWSB said the private water tanker suppliers were still supplying water to the influential is only on the instructions of the chief engineer water distribution, who has otherwise given them a free hand to operate on their own."

The managing director of the KWSB, Brig. Mohammed Behram Khan, was not available throughout the day for his comments.