HYDERABAD, Jan 10: Prolonged power outage and a shortage of drinking water have been persisting across Hyderabad district since Dec 25, when the irrigation department started annual maintenance of Kotri barrage.

The failure on the part of the authorities concerned to ensure alternative arrangements for adequate water supply to consumers aggravated the situation gradually and many localities were getting no water.

The water shortage also triggered street protests in different localities including Islamabad, Liaquat Colony, Sheedi Goth, Latifabad (unit nos 8, 11, 12), Dadan Shah and Tilak Incline. The most affected areas appeared to be Latifabad unit nos. 4 to 12, Sehrish Nagar, Bhitai Town, Gulistan-i-Sajjad, Hussainabad Chowk, Sarfaraz Colony, Liberty Chowk, Tando Wali Mohammad, Khai, Hali Road, Risala Roads, Fakir Ka Pir etc. Excessive power loadshedding and intermittent outages added to the miseries of citizens.

Mohammad Waseem, a resident of Latifabad Unit-8 said that his locality was badly affected by the water shortage and power cuts. He said that electricity to his locality was supplied for 12 hours a day, adding that power cuts of varying durations was being experienced day and night badly disturbing people’s sleep and routine work. The locality had stopped receiving tap water several days ago, he said.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Saleemuddin admitted that certain localities were facing a shortage of water during the barrage closure period. “Wasa supplies 40-45 million gallons of water to consumers from its storage tanks as there is no water supply from canals these days,” he argued. However, he hoped, the situation would improve within the next two-three days i.e. after completion of the canal cleaning process on Jan 11.

In the meantime, Wasa on Thursday started supplying 50 million gallons of water to Hyderabad city from the Jamshoro source.

“The city requires around 60 million gallons a day during winter,” he said, and put the addition requirement in summer at over 70 million gallons a day.

The Wasa official said that residents of Liaquat Colony, Effendi Town and adjoining areas might continue to face a shortage a couple of days more as the source, Akram Wah, feeding these areas would take time to fill up. He said that power loadshedding for eight hours a day affected pumping and resulted in a shortfall of 20 million gallons a day in the overall supply to the city.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), Sadiq Kubar, conceding excessive loadshedding in the district and attributed it to the closure of barrages and canals. “The process also affects production of electricity,” he argued, and said Hesco had to effect a six-hour loadshedding in the urban and an eight-hour loadshedding in the rural areas to manage the system. He did not agree that some areas were experiencing 12 hours of power cuts on a daily basis.

“Power supply to certain areas, where work on different projects is in progress, is suspended but the normal loadshedding hours are curtailed accordingly,” he claimed.

Residents of Tilak Incline and adjacent localities staged a demonstration against excessive loadshedding and water shortage as street protests against the water and power crises in the city continued on Thursday.

The protesters blocked roads with burning tyres disrupting vehicular traffic for several hours.