MIRPURKHAS, Aug 23: Acute water shortage in different localities of Satellite Town has made lives of resident miserable as they either travel a long distance or get drinking water from hand-pumps.

The areas facing hardships for last two weeks are Ground no 2, Naseer and Panwhar colonies, Scheme no -2, Walkart Area, Gulshan Colony, Rahim Nagar and Mir Allah Bachayo Colony.

Arif Ahmed Khan, Syed Sarwar Shah, Shakeel Ahmed and others alleged that water was not available at Scheme Phase 1 and 2 of Satellite Town and wherever available, the quantity was insufficient. They said that they were compelled to fetch water from far-flung areas.

Residents blamed officials of not supplying water to areas despite complaints. Resentment and unrest prevailed among affected population.

They demanded of the higher authorities to take notice and restore adequate water supply.

Jawad Khan, In-charge Water Supply Scheme Satellite Town said that water was drawn from Jarwari minor and then supplied on alternate basis. The minor was closed under rotation programme currently.

There are four reservoirs in scheme with a storage capacity of 32.5 million gallons but we are getting merely 3.6 million gallons during 24 hours and supply 3.2 million gallons daily because of closure of Jarwari minor, he said.

Satellite Town was getting supply only once daily because of Jarwari minor which had resulted in shortage in UCs 4, 6, 7 and 8, he said.

Concerned authorities sent letters to XEN Jamrao canal to exempt Jarwari minor from rotation in the interest of masses but no notice had yet been taken.

An irrigation official said that there was water shortage in Nara canal as a result Mirpurkhas situated in the tail command area of Nara canal was also facing acute water shortage while irrigation department was managing supply to tail end growers by implementing the rotation programme.