HYDERABAD, Dec 30: A shortage of water trigger violent protests in several parts of Hyderabad on Sunday with angry youths taking to the street and disrupting vehicular traffic on main thoroughfares by placing burning tyres and junk in the middle of roads.Raising slogans against the local administration, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), groups of people in various localities of the city staged noisy demonstrations demanding restoration of water supply to their respective areas.

The city has been facing a shortage of water for three days after Hesco cut off power supply to Wasa installations to force the water utility to clear its outstanding dues.

Water supply to most city areas stopped when power supply to new and old filter plants and sewerage facilities was cut off on Friday.

According to a Hesco spokesman, Wasa had to pay Rs1.77 billion to the power utility. The dues pertained to power consumption at its offices and installations over the last 28 months, he said.

“We will not restore power supply until the Sindh government guaranteed payment of dues within a reasonable period of time,” he said.

The spokesman quoted some responsible government officials as saying that in their meetings with Hesco officials that utility-related payments were made to the field formation offices of different departments, arguing that these offices failed to pass on the payments to Hesco against the power bills.

Hesco cut of 172 of the total 199 power connections of Wasa causing almost closure of the city’s water supply and sewerage system. Many areas of the city remained without water on Sunday sending a wave of protest across the city. A large number of residents took to streets and burnt old tyres in Hyderabad, Latifabad. Violent protests were reported from Khai Road, Giddu Naka, Hirabad, Pathan Colony, Tilak Incline, Sarfaraz Colony, Haider Chowk, Sabzi Mandi Chowk and other localities. The protests also led to traffic jam on several thoroughfares.

CM speaks to federal minister Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, speaking to the media at the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in Bhit Shah on Sunday, said he received the reports of protest and spoke to the Federal Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar to intervene into the matter. “He (the federal minister) told me over phone that electric supply to Wasa installations would be restored immediately,” the chief minister said.

He said that the Sindh government was ready to reconcile the dues with Hesco.

Mr Shah said that he had also asked the chief secretary to resolve the issue. Wasa and Hesco officials would hold a meeting in Karachi on Monday, he said, adding that the finance secretary would represent the Sindh government in the meeting to resolve the issue.However, the Hesco spokesman said that notices were issued to Wasa, as well as the Hyderabad Development Authority (HAD), regarding the dues but there was no response. As such, he added, the Hesco board of directors in its meeting on Dec 28 decided to discontinue power supply to the water utility and the HDA.

Wasa Managing Director Saleemuddin said that Hesco cut of power supply to the Barrage and Canal pumping stations which were the main and installations supplying water to the city. Besides, power supply to filter plants on Jamshoro Road and in Latifabad Unit No 4 was also cut off, he added.

He said 75 per cent of water supply was affected in Hyderabad.

He said that Wasa was already managing the system through its storage tanks as the irrigation department had suspended water supply to Wasa from the Indus since Dec 25 for 26 days to facilitate annual desilting and cleaning of canals.