The moment they saw the city water tanker stop in their neighbourhood, Mohammed and Nayla rushed towards it.
That day, the water was free -- a rare event in Karachi, where organised gangs siphon it off to sell to thirsty residents.
In Sadiqabad and other Karachi slums, water barely flows through the pipe meant to supply the shacks packed along the rutted earth lanes.
The shortage doesn't just annoy the millions of residents in Pakistan's largest city -- this summer it exacerbated the effects of a heatwave which killed more than 1,200 people.
Over recent decades Karachi has expanded in an uncontrolled, unplanned way, booming from 500,000 to 20 million inhabitants in the space of 60 years and sprawling over an area 33 times the size of central Paris.
The coastal city pumps around 2.2 billion litres (580 million US gallons) of water a day from the Indus and Hub rivers, which have seen their flow reduced by insufficient rains in recent years.
But it is not enough to meet demand in a metropolis where the vital textile industry gobbles up huge amounts.
Mohammad Akeel Siddiq works in one such factory, earning 10,000 rupees ($100) a month with which he supports his wife Nayla and their five children.
From time to time the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) fills the reservoir in their neighbourhood and residents flock to it.
But the rest of the time they turn to the semi-clandestine mafias that control the lucrative trade in water distributed by tankers.
The family pays up to $15 a month for water -- which is not even always safe to drink.
"The water is polluted and dirty so we only use it for washing and cooking," Nayla told AFP.
"The children sometimes get diarrhoea when they drink that water."
As a result the family are sometimes forced to use money they should spend on food to buy clean drinking water.
Dig, pump, bill
The water mafias dig tunnels to tap into the mains supply, stealing millions of gallons a day, said Iftikhar Ahmed Khan of KWSB.
"These illegal hydrants are established by armed people, so it is very difficult for KWSB staff to just dismantle them," he told AFP.
In recent months government forces on a major anti-crime crackdown in the city have shuttered 200 illegal water connections, forcing many tankers to refill from KWSB and pay fees of $1-2 per 1,000 US gallons (3,700 litres).
The water is then resold for at least 10 times that price a few kilometres (miles) away in slums, posh neighbourhoods and industrial areas.
"There is an enormous amount of demand... (but) there is no regulatory check of the price the tankers are charging to the customer," said Noman Ahmed, an expert on the water crisis at NED university in Karachi.
On the ground the gangs continue to steal from the network while others pump directly from the groundwater table to resell what is undrinkable saline water.
Water, water everywhere
Karachi's textile factories -- the lifeblood of the Pakistani economy -- use hundreds of millions of litres of water a day producing fabrics, T-shirts and jeans, many of which are exported to the West.
One industrialist speaking on condition of anonymity admitted paying bribes to ensure the water kept flowing to his factory, but said even then he was sometimes forced to turn to the tanker gangs.
Many rich people are investing in powerful suction pumps to draw what water there is from the mains -- thereby depriving their neighbours of their supply.
Karachi is on the Arabian Sea, but desalination costs are prohibitively expensive -- and, with the water table falling and the population continuing to boom, it seems the city's water woes are only just beginning.
"The government says there are water shortages," said Abdul Samad, resident of the poor Metroville area.
"But we see tankers in our neighbourhood every day -- where's that water coming from?"
AFP
Sun Oct 04 2015
As a result the family are sometimes forced to use money they should spend on food to buy clean drinking water. - AFP Photo
KL20: Shariah-compliant startup revolution
Ringgit dibuka rendah berikutan dolar kekal tinggi menjelang data KDNK AS
Pada 9 pagi, ringgit susut kepada 4.7825/7870 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.7765/7780 ketika ditutup pada Rabu.
AWANI Ringkas: Mangsa nahas helikopter dikebumi hari ini
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Terengganu mampu tanggung 50 peratus hutang PTPTN rakyat
Perkara itu boleh dilaksanakan sebagaimana dilakukan kerajaan Sarawak bagi memberi suntikan dan galakan kepada golongan pelajar.
Buruh ladang warga Indonesia maut dipanah petir
Mangsa dikenali sebagai Kamarudin,40, berasal dari Montong Berore, Mataram, Lombok disahkan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian.
OpenAcademy: How microlearning transforms Malaysia's work landscape?
OpenAcademy, a Malaysian ed-tech startup, directly addresses the critical need for workforce upskilling in Malaysia. Their user-friendly mobile platform delivers microlearning modules focused on practical, industry-relevant digital skills. This empowers Malaysians at all career stages to enhance their skill sets and remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
The future of Malaysia's semiconductor industry
The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) will draw up a comprehensive strategic semiconductor plan to ensure that malaysia remains the chosen investment destination for this strategic industry. What role does Malaysia currently play in the global semiconductor supply chain, and how do you see this evolving in the coming years?
Mesyuarat PAC: Teliti projek penyelidikan, isu industri sawit negara
MPOB komited untuk menangani isu-isu industri dengan berkesan di samping memperhebat usaha penyelidikan dan pembangunan.
Bantahan perang di Gaza meningkat di universiti, kolej AS
Penunjuk perasaan mendesak agar dihentikan korban awam di Gaza yang kini mencecah lebih 34,000.
MITI optimis prestasi perdagangan lebih baik pada 2024
Tengku Zafrul menjelaskan, MITI juga memperbaharui fokusnya dengan berpaksikan kepada empat tunjang utama iaitu ekonomi, kelestarian, rakyat dan inovasi.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Karachi bandar raya paling tercemar di dunia
Karachi, bandar terbesar di Pakistan mendahului senarai bandar paling tercemar di dunia dengan pihak berkuasa tidak berdaya untuk mengekang pencemaran.
27 mati di selatan Pakistan akibat denggi
Penularan deman denggi di Pakistan semakin buruk, dengan 27 pesakit mati di Wilayah Sindh di selatan negara itu bulan ini.
Pakistan: Banjir mungkin berlarutan sehingga enam bulan - Pihak berkuasa
Banjir yang disebabkan oleh hujan monsun dan pencairan glasier di kawasan pergunungan di utara Pakistan setakat ini telah meragut nyawa lebih 1,400 orang.
Karachi, bandar paling tidak sesuai didiami di dunia
Ia diburukkan lagi dengan isu kebersihan apabila sampah dan sisa makanan dibuang di tepi jalan, mengundang ketidakselesaan.
Selebriti TV dan ahli politik Pakistan Aamir Liaquat meninggal dunia pada usia 49
Aamir Liaquat ditemukan tidak sedarkan diri di rumahnya dan dikejarkan ke hospital tetapi gagal diselamatkan, lapor media Pakistan.
Tiga warga China antara terbunuh dalam insiden letupan di Karachi
Empat orang, termasuk tiga warga China, terbunuh dalam satu insiden letupan bom di Universiti Karachi di Pakistan pada Selasa.
30 maut, lebih 50 cedera dua kereta api bertembung di selatan Pakistan
Nahas kereta api di wilayah Sindh, selatan Pakistan pada Isnin meragut sekurang-kurangnya 30 nyawa manakala lebih 50 yang lain cedera.
Lelaki penggal kepala Daniel Pearl dibebaskan Mahkamah Pakistan
Setiausaha Negara AS Antony Blinken menyifatkan keputusan itu sebagai penghinaan kepada semua mangsa keganasan.
Banjir di Pakistan: Helikopter digunakan untuk pindahkan mangsa terjejas
Helikopter penyelamat dihantar di bandar pelabuhan selatan Karachi, Pakistan bagi memindahkan lebih 200 keluarga akibat hujan lebat yang membanjiri bandar itu.