Residents of Karachi rallied on University Road to express their grievances over the ongoing shortages of water and electricity in the PIB Colony area, as reported by ARY News. The demonstrations, sparked by the lack of essential utilities, led to the blockage of both lanes towards Hassan Square near the Newtown police station, resulting in major traffic disruptions in the surrounding regions.
In another incident, a water line leak in the old Sabzi Mandi area has caused flooding on the roadway, hindering traffic movement, according to ARY News. Despite attempts to negotiate with police officials, the protesters have yet to reach an agreement and have pledged to persist with their demonstrations until their demands for sufficient water and electricity are fulfilled.
The ongoing issues also include damage to the main water line during construction related to the BRT project. Although the Water Corporation has promised to address the leakages, the situation remains unresolved. Residents in several areas, including Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal, have been suffering from a severe water shortage over the past four days. The crisis extends to other locations like PIB Colony, Garden, Sadar, Ranchore Line, Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Gulistan, Johar, and more.
The Water Corporation had stated that repair work on three separate lines had been completed, yet citizens are still experiencing shortages. Earlier, protests erupted in various parts of Karachi on October 5, where residents took to the streets over the utility disruptions, causing significant traffic jams that left commuters stranded for hours.
In Jacob Lines, families, including women and children, demonstrated shortly after noon against the power outage in their area, obstructing Corridor-III from Saddar to Peoples Chowrangi. Protesters claimed that K-Electric cut off electricity to their neighborhood three days ago due to non-payment of what they termed excessive and unjustified bills.