Water woes: Poor planning leaves Sukkur residents dry

Locals face annual water shortage for two weeks during closure of barrage's canals

SUKKUR: For the last two decades, residents of Sukkur living on the right bank of River Indus are made to brave acute shortage of drinking water during closure of Sukkur barrage's canals from January 6 till January 20.

The years-old plan to draw water from the left side of the river during the closure period has not been initiated as yet. Moreover, the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC), which took over water supply, drainage and sanitation systems in January 2011 from the municipal corporation with the aim to ameliorate the service, has failed to provide better living conditions to residents.

Every year, citizens of Sukkur hear tall claims that this time they will not face any shortage of drinking water during the annual closure of canals. But the incapability of the NSUSC, which has been overburdened due to political recruitments, ensures dearth of the natural resource.





Interestingly, the Sukkur barrage authorities inform the NSUSC well ahead of the closure so they can make alternative arrangements for smooth supply of drinking water, but the utility never takes any measures beforehand.

Requesting anonymity, an NSUSC official disclosed the sorry state of affairs at the utility. He said most officers have been recruited under political influence and therefore seldom attend office. The corporation's media coordinator, Adeel Shah, said to be relative of an influential politician of Khairpur, never attends office, but is drawing salaries regularly, he informed. The official added that two assistant managers, Dilshad Mako and Basharat, were removed from service on charges of corruption and have once again been posted in the utility due to political influence. He said that after the resignation of former NSUSC managing director Abdul Majeed Pathan, former operation director Mehmood Ali Shah, a close relative of the Sindh chief minister, has been promoted to the post of managing director and is running the utility as his personal fiefdom.

The official claimed that two to three high pressure turbines at the main water works of Sukkur are out of order since long, due to which water supply to many areas, including Shalimar, Queen's Road, Mission Road, Neem Ki Chari, Clock Tower, Gharibabad, Minara Road, Old Post Office and Mochi Bazar, have been badly affected. Heavy generators installed at the water works, placed to ensure smooth water supply in case of power outages, are not put into operation to save fuel, he claimed.

Last year, residents of Sukkur faced no shortage of drinking water due to effective measures taken by former NSUSC managing director Pathan, who was forced to resign under political influence, he explained.

When contacted, NSUSC operations director Masar Dayo, admitted the utility's failure in ensuring uninterrupted water supply. He said water is being supplied to every locality of the city after an interval of three days.

"We were trying to construct a jetty at Bakhar Island to draw water from there during the closure period and it was decided to bury the pipes under water, but the irrigation authorities objected and thus the plan was aborted," explained Dayo. "The next option was to bring the pipe along with the Lanse Downe bridge, which was hampered by railway authorities and thus we were forced to think of something else. Now we are planning to install pipes from Bakhar Island to the main water works by constructing an overhead bridge," he said, adding that work on the construction of the jetty has been started.

"We should have done this much beforehand to rid the people from water shortage during annual closure," he admitted. "However, the work is in progress and would take 15 months to complete. But I am optimistic that next year people will not face a water shortage."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2016.