HYDERABAD: Residents of Latifabad have been facing shortage of drinking water for the past few days due to the negligence of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and its parent body, Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA).

Residents of most parts of Latifabad, who are in millions, are dependent on water supplies from downstream Kotri Barrage. But they suffer shortage in drinking water supply because the HDA and Wasa officers remain unaware of actual available flows in Indus River and keep blaming the irrigation authorities for not releasing water downstream.

“I was not briefed by Wasa, but I personally visited the site. There is shortage of water at the destination Kotri Barrage downstream near Unit-4 wherefrom water is lifted for Latifabad. Around 400 cusecs of water flows are needed for Wasa,” said newly-posted HDA Director General (DG) Zahid Shar while speaking to Dawn on Wednesday. Complaints were being received by Wasa from residents that drinking water was not being supplied, he added.

An HDA’s press release said the DG expressed grave concern over ‘unavailability of water at the ‘intake’ site of Wasa downstream Kotri Barrage. He visited the pumping station and filtration plants of Wasa. It said the DG contacted the irrigation authorities as well.

Indus river flows of Oct 18 revealed that 1,615 cusecs of water was being released downstream Kotri Barrage since Oct 16 while 2,395 cusecs was released from Oct 13 to Oct 15. Even bigger volume of water, 9,370 cusecs on Oct 12 and 11,320 cusecs on Oct 11 was released.

Wasa MD Anjum Saeed was not available for comments. His brother, Junaid Saeed’s cell remained switched off. None is available to explain the facts as to why drinking water supply was not being ensured in Latifabad for the last few days and why figures of water flows – as mentioned by the HDA DG – were in conflict with the Kotri Barrage’s authorities.

“Wasa needs to pull their socks up,” commented Kotri Barrage Chief Engineer (CE) Haji Khan Jamali. He was attending a meeting in Islamabad regarding water projects. “Wasa is unnecessarily blaming us for their own faults and lack of investment in their system. They don’t have figures and starts blaming us,” he said.

He took strong exception to the language used by the Wasa MD in a letter addressed to him (CE Kotri barrage). “The MD is telling us that the law and order situation can be created in the city due to water shortage,” said the engineer quoting the letter’s content.

“I will respond to this letter of the MD while inviting the authorities to take action against the MD who is responsible for polluting Indus river with the release of domestic wastewater while doing nothing to stop it,” he said. He said the barrage had recently witnessed flood situation, which meant that silt accumulation had taken place downstream Kotri. “Wasa needs to take care of their pumps and they may relocate them at the point wherefrom water can be lifted; they should clean the machines as well,” he said.

Downstream releases of water, said the CE, were taken as wastage of water by upper riparian in the realm of interprovincial water. But, he said, there was no shortage of water as downstream releases were continuing those days. “There will, however, be closure of the barrage for 10 days in December as is practice in vogue; then where Wasa is going to lift water from,” he quipped. He said Wasa needed to invest in its system instead of blaming the irrigation department.

Guddu and Sukkur barrages witnessed medium flood levels this August while Kotri Barrage remained normal. Silt accumulation was a regular and normal phenomenon during floods. Wasa lifts water from Indus river from multiple locations.

Water was supplied from downstream at the central point of the barrage in addition to Unit-4 Latifabad and combined channel’s point to feed Wasa’s lagoons in Karan Khan Shoro Goth. Usually water shortage at the barrage is seen in April when the river flows remain highly inadequate and Kotri Barrage reports 60pc to 70pc water shortage. October is not the period when such shortage is normally reported.

An official in Wasa said that sand dunes must have been developed due to floodwater passage from Kotri Barrage. These sand dunes must have blocked water flows reaching to the point of intake for Latifabad, he added.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023