HYDERABAD, Oct 3: Non-availability of new generators at water disposal pumping stations and power shutdowns are affecting the process of draining out rainwater and supply of drinking water to Hyderabad's three taluk as as rain continued intermittently on Sunday after heavy downpour on Saturday.

The rain aggravated the situation in areas of the New Cloth market, Sabzi Mandi roundabout, Pakistan Chowk, Guru Nagar, Mohammad Ali Johar Road and Tulsi Das Road in the City taluka, Gulshan-i-Hali Road and unit nos. 8, 10, 11 and 12 of the Latifabad taluka and Abdullah Town, Marvi Town, Abdullah Blessing and Abdullah Bungalows in the Qasimabad taluka because the stagnant water could not be properly drained out.

The Water and Sanitation Agency has not acquired new generators though the city had witnessed a similar situation last monsoon and the existing ones are not functioning for several years. Wasa claims to have spent Rs100,000 to Rs150,000 on repair of the old generators.

Power shutdowns at disposal pumping stations also caused problems for Wasa officials. Only one water disposal pump can be operated through one generator and it has been noticed that in every monsoon these areas have been badly affected for want of generators.

Wasa managing-director Shaukat Hayat Bhutto said besides non-availability of generators, frequent suspensions in power supply to pumping stations, including those in Makrani Para, Effendi town, unit nos. 2, 9 and 11 and Qasimabad, remained the main problem to clear roads of rainwater.

He said a six-hour power breakdown had also hit Wasa's filter plant. However, he added, after 1.30pm on Sunday, power supply remained uninterrupted. He said a generator was made available at the Effendi town pumping station to drain out water from New Cloth Market area on Sunday afternoon.

Business activities remained suspended in main bazaars and markets in the city. Transport also remained thin since Saturday, causing problems to commuters, especially government servants.

Groups of youths, however, enjoyed the change in weather as they thronged places of Al-Manzar, Hussainabad and Kohsar. According to the metro logical department, the city received 90.5mm rain during the last 36 hours. The minimum temperature was recorded at 21.0 degrees centigrade and the maximum at 27.5. Dark clouds continued to hover over Hyderabad and adjoining areas.

Reports indicated that people in different parts of the city faced hardships on account of prolonged electricity suspensions since Saturday. Meanwhile, around 200 residents of different localities of the Qasimabad taluka staged a sit-in, which continued when this story was filed at 7:30pm, to protest against non-disposal of rainwater accumulated in their areas.

The protesters, who hailed from Abdullah Blessings, Abdullah Town, Bodgo Palari, Bhittai town, Marvi Town, Naseem Delux Bungalows and other areas, were led by MPA Zahid Bhurgari and Mahboob Abro.

They criticized Wasa for failing to drain the rainwater and pledged to continue their protest till the disposal of the water. Mr Bhugari said since Sunday morning people were locating Wasa officials but in vain, adding that no pumping machine had been installed in Qasimabad. He said he had informed the DCO about the situation.

The Wasa managing director arrived there and tried to persuade the residents to end their protest, saying the water would be drained out. However, the protesters refused to end the sit-in till immediate measures were taken in their presence.

It appears that rain emergency meetings by the district government to meet monsoon have proved to be a futile exercise keeping in the number of complaints against Wasa and Hyderabad Development Authority officials. The meetings were held to prepare a contingency plan but the ground reality shows that no such plan is in existence in the city.