DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Aug 9: The residents of a remote village of Budh, some 40km from here, are living on stagnant water of ponds because of unavailability of clean drinking water.

"Drinking the stagnant water might lead to the outbreak of fatal diseases in Budh which houses up to 7,000 people," said nazims of five union councils at a meeting held here the other day.

They suggested that the tube-well scheme suspended for years to pump out 760-foot deep water could address the people's problem. The Organization for Rural Development and Research (ORDR) arranged the meeting to involve local communities and government officials in an attempt to conserve natural resources and protect wild life of the area.

The participants said that though too deep under the ground, water had been discovered and proved safe for drinking. Authorities concerned should immediately execute a project to provide clean water to the area, they added.

In addition, a dilapidated pipeline from Bhittanni Abad to Budh, the lone source of water in the past, existed but needed efforts to be upgraded. The Organization for Rural Development and Research is executing a project funded by the UNDP and GEF with Saifur Rehman Qureshi to be the project manager.

UC Ratta Kulachi Nazim Mohammad Sharif Qureshi, UC Chahkan Nazim Sheikh Mohammad Javed, UC Kaich Nazim Fatehsher Khan, UC Yarak Nazim Malik Inayatullah and UC Dhap Shumali Nazim Malik Sher Mohammad Awan voiced their concerns at the meeting. -APP