SHANGLA: The residents of Sar Shehd Kass Pagorai in Alpuri tehsil have demanded of the government to initiate a water supply scheme in the area as they have been experiencing acute water shortage since long.

They told journalists on Monday that 5,000 residents of three villages -- Kass, Shehd Sar and Kandaw -- had been facing acute water shortage since long.

They said that women had to cover a long distance to fetch water from a spring.

Amjad Ali, former village nazim, said that the issue of water shortage turned severe and people faced great difficulties.

“Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai has approved Rs15.1 million water supply scheme. The project was tenderised and pipes were brought by the contractor but the scheme could not be executed owing to opposition of people of other area,” said Amjad Ali.

He said that four water bores in the area also failed. However, they approached the executive engineer of public health engineering department to supply water to the area from a down spring for which electricity would be required.

Waseem Yousafzai, a resident of Shehd Sar, said that the only option for addressing the issue was to install solar panels or get electricity from Wapda to pump water from the spring. He said that they were consuming electricity generated by mini power stations.

He claimed that the area had been ignored by the successive governments. He said that they were deprived of basic rights in that modern era of technology.

Waqar Ahmad Khan, Alpuri tehsil chairman, when contacted, said that the water supply scheme approved for the area was halted due to a conflict over the water and politicising of the issue for damaging his reputation during local bodies’ elections.

He said they were striving to construct a huge tank in the area and install a heavy pumping machine to supply water to the people.

However, he said that electricity was needed to run the pumping machine.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2022

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