Thousands of residents in Ghulam Muhammadabad have been forced to endure foul-smelling tap water for the past days, accusing the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) of ignoring repeated complaints and failing to resolve the issue.
Locals report that the piped water supplied by WASA has a pungent, unpleasant odour, making it nearly impossible to consume.
Kashif Ahmad, a resident of Tower Wali Street, told media that despite lodging a complaint with the WASA consumer centre and its official helpline (1334), no action has been taken.
"No one has contacted us, and no one has visited to inspect the problem," he said.
Another local resident, Muhammad Aslam, expressed frustration over the matter, saying many families are considering relocating to other areas due to what he termed WASA's "indifference and delaying tactics."
Muhammad Din added that no technical team from the Water and Sanitation Agency had shown up despite the issue persisting for two days.
"We are fed up and will be forced to take to the streets if this continues," he warned.
Akbar Ali blamed the crisis on the deteriorating condition of the drinking water supply infrastructure and aging sewerage pipelines.
"If WASA doesn't act, we'll hold a sit-in outside the Zila Council and Deputy Commissioner Office," he said.
WASA's response has only added to residents' anger. Amin Dogar, in charge of the agency's complaint cell, said he was unaware of the issue but promised to follow up if the situation persists.
Similarly, another official, Sohail Qader Cheema, claimed he had not been informed but would issue orders to address the matter.
A gastroenteritis outbreak had previously erupted in the same locality due to the deteriorated sewerage infrastructure, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least six residents after consuming polluted water.
An official further said that a two-member WASA team recently visited the area and collected water samples from various streets.
He said the situation would become clearer within a day or two once the test results are received.
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