HYDERABAD, May 19: The situation due to supply of contaminated water of the Indus river to the people of Hyderabad, Qasimabad and Latifabad talu-kas is worsening with each passing day.

No fresh water has been released from the Sukkur Barrage. Even mineral water is in short supply at general stores. Talking to Dawn, a source in the irrigation department claimed that 10,500 cusecs of water was released from the Sukkur Barrage on May 15 and it usually took two days for water to reach the Kotri Barrage. However, there is no trace of this water despite four days have passed.

According to a Kotri Barrage source, only 3,400 cusecs of water was available at the barrage at 4pm on Wednesday. Under the circumstances, he added, no water could be released downstream Kotri.

The source said that 1,125 cusecs of water had been released in the KB Feeder which supplied water to Karachi, 1,750 cusecs of water was flowing in the New Phulelli Canal and 787 cusecs of water in the Akram Wah. He further said that the Pinyari Canal (old Phulelli) had been closed for an indefinite period.

Our Sukkur Correspondent adds: The Sukkur Barrage is facing 45 per cent water shortage and it will take four to five days for water to reach here from Tarbella, Chashma and Taunsa dams where an increase in water level has been recorded. The water shortage at the barrage will then be reduced to 30 per cent.

Talking to this correspondent here on Wednesday, Sukkur Barrage executive engineer Aftab Abro claimed that 10,000 cusecs water had been released from the Sukkur Barrage some three days back and the water would reach the Kotri Barrage in five days. He said that due to less pressure of water, it was taking a long time to reach Kotri.

He said that water earlier used to reach the Sukkur Barrage from the Guddu Barrage within 24 hours but now as the water pressure was very low, it took more than two days to reach Sukkur.

He said that on Wednesday, water flow at Sukkur Barrage upstream was recorded at 31,780 cusecs and at downstream, it was 10,000 cusecs. At Guddu Barrage upstream, water flow was 44,152 cusecs and at downstream, it was 38,083 cusecs, at the Kotri Barrage, 3,410 cusecs water flow was recorded at upstream and 0 at downstream, at Chashma upstream, the flow was 132,778 cusecs, and at downstream, 125,000 cusecs, and at Taunsa upstream, the water flow was 89,545 cusecs and at downstream, it was 73,427 cusecs.

Meanwhile, residents of several areas in Sukkur took to the streets to protest against the acute shortage of drinking water.