DADU, July 9: Water supply and sanitation systems in the town collapsed because of negligence of officials of the taluka municipal administration, residents alleged on Friday.

Drains in Shahani, Soorajabad, Gharibabad, Pir Bakhsh, Mallah Chowk, Old Chowk, Chandni Chowk, Mazdoorabad, Jagatabad, New Bus Stand, Chhano Shahabad, Mallah Road and other areas were choked and sewage overflowed on roads while garbage heaps accumulated at various places of the town.

Meanwhile, the water supply system also collapsed and residents were forced to consume water contaminated with sewage which was spreading different diseases among them. Mehran Welfare Association chairman Maula Bux Mastoi, resident of Mazdoorabad Mohalla, complained that overflowing sewage had created unhygienic conditions in his neighbourhood and was spreading diseases.

Alleging that water pipelines were broken at various points which allowed sewage to mix with potable water, he said that TMA officials seemed least concerned with the problem.

A resident of Najam Mohalla said that due to the consumption of unhealthy water, residents of his area were becoming ill. He had contacted the union council-III nazim to request for sanitation staff to scour drains, but no one was sent over despite a lapse of 15 days, he added.

A Chandni Chowk resident said that though residents paid their taxes regularly, yet the TMA did not bother to provide water and sanitation facilities to them. Union Council-III nazim Mohammad Amin Mirani said that the people had to face the situation because of shortage of staff and added that water lines, broken at many places, had not been repaired since 1980.

He said that on the allocation of funds in the next budget, the defective network would be replaced throughout the town. On the other hand, taluka nazim Zafar Ali Shah said that the TMA was providing facilities to the citizens despite the fact that they did not pay taxes due to the administration and added that he had handed over the sanitation staff to UC nazims. He, however, admitted that in the last 24 years, the water and sanitation networks in the town were not repaired.

ARRESTED: Police arrested three bandits from Khairpur Nathan Shah and Sehwan talukas on Friday. DPO (operation) Javed Alam Odho told journalists that on a tip-off, the Khairpur Nathan Shah police raided a forest and arrested notorious bandit Ghulam Machhi.

He said that the police also recovered a shotgun and 20 cartridges from his possession. The Bhan Saeedabad police raided the Bhan Saeedabad-Sehwan link road and arrested outlaws Mazhar and Dino Panhwar, he said and added that the police also secured two revolvers and 10 cartridges.