The water crisis in Hyderabad has reached a critical level, severely disrupting daily life for residents across several neighborhoods.

The situation has become alarming in the second largest urban center of Sindh, particularly affecting areas such as Heerabad, Shahi Bazaar, Khai Road, Afandi Town, Tando Mir Mahmood, Unit No 12, and Kohsar.

Many residents have gone without a consistent water supply for as long as four days, compelling them to turn to more expensive and hazardous alternatives.

In order to cope with the shortages, residents in the affected areas are forced to buy water from private suppliers at exorbitant prices. In some instances, people are relying on water drawn from underground boreholes, which poses significant health risks.

Reports indicate that the water being supplied via pipelines is often contaminated, with residents describing it as muddy and foul-smelling, rendering it unsafe for consumption.

Residents from areas like Shahi Bazaar have reported that the water they receive is so polluted that it is unusable, mirroring similar complaints from Sherissh Nagar in Qasimabad. One local resident, Ashiq, noted that after a four-day wait, the water supplied to their community was filled with debris and mud.

The crisis is particularly acute in the stretch from Khuda Hafiz Chowk to Kohsar, where water supply has been almost entirely disrupted. For months, locals near Khuda Hafiz Chowk have depended on water from the WASA (Water & Sanitation Agency) pumping station.

The agency has recently prohibited residents from accessing water from this source, and the filtration plant in the area has halted operations due to insufficient water supply.

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Concerns regarding corruption within the system have surfaced, with allegations that some WASA officials, citing unpaid salaries, are facilitating illegal water connections. Reports suggest that illegal connections are being installed by spudding pipes into the main line, further straining an already overloaded system.

Residents of Kohsar have found themselves forced to purchase water from costly tanker services. To protest the ongoing shortages, individuals from Kohsar and Unit No 12ed support from those in other affected areas who are calling for swift and effective action from the authorities.

While WASA claims to be working on addressing illegal connections and defaulters, citizens allege that some officials are complicit, providing connections under the cover of night.