Sukkur Barrage maintenance: Dirty water causing stomach infections among residents

Residents complain the water they have been receiving stinks, so they are fetching water from hand pumps.

SUKKUR: Residents of Sukkur are paying a heavy price for the maintenance of the barrage. First, the gush of water downstream swept several houses and now supply of contaminated water is causing stomach infections.

Since the January 6 closure of Sukkur Barrage, dirty water is being supplied to the neighbourhoods and people are falling sick.

Taluka Municipal Administration Sukkur city handed over water supply, drainage and sanitation to North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC) from January 1, after which residents expected smooth supply of clean drinking water during barrage maintenance. However, NSUSC officials delayed arrangements that led to a water shortage.

Drainage water, being released into the River Indus near Waspur Mohalla and Thermal Colony, has also mixed into the standing river water and the authorities are supplying the same water to neighbourhoods, such as New Pind, Microwave Colony, Old Sukkur, Numaish Road, Qureshi Road, New Goth, Minara Road, Gharibabad, Clock Tower, Queens Road and other areas.

Residents have complained that the water they have been receiving for the past eight days stinks so they are now fetching water from hand pumps, installed in the low lying areas of the city. A survey of the site also revealed that the arrangements made by NSUSC at Bakhar Island are insufficient and very little water is being diverted towards the water works for onward suction and supply.

During a visit to the main water works, it was found that the water sucked from the river was dirty and was being directly supplied to the citizens without treatment. Though the civic authorities are planning to dig wells on Bakhar Island to suck and supply underground water in case of a shortage but even after 20 years it still remains a plan.

“We have installed four pumps at Bakhar Island to suck water and supply to the main water works,” NSUSC Sukkur director Abid Hussain told The Express Tribune. “Since we don’t have generators, drainage water mixes into the river water during power outages,” he explained.

He assured that the company has made arrangements and they are hoping the contamination will stop in a day or two. Besides this, he added that, he has also ordered the water works incharge to ensure proper chlorination before supplying water to the residents.

On January 6, nearly a dozen houses collapsed when water was released downstream Sukkur Barrage.

This was part of the annual closure of the facility between January 6 and January 20 for maintenance.

During this time, all seven off-taking canals of the barrage are closed and water is released downstream.

Officials said that the barrage was closed for repairs and there were plans to modernise the structure and automate the gates, as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th,  2011.