TIMERGARA, Sept 23: People in different parts of Lower Dir district are facing shortage of drinking water as many government-run water supply schemes are not functioning due to low voltage and frequent loadshedding.

Residents of the Talash valley have complained that water supply schemes — Bangai Soghalay, Dherai and Amlookdara — had been out of order for one month.

Similarly, people of Adenzai tehsil have said that tube wells in Shah Alum Baba, Mina Bhattan and Muhajir camp Chakdara are not supplying water to the tehsil. The operators of these schemes said that due to low power voltage tube wells were not run.

People of these areas have urged the provincial and district governments to solve the problem of shortage of drinking water.

An operator told Dawn on Sunday that people of Ziarat Talash, Nagri Payeen, Shamshi Khan and Bagh Dushkhel had purchased high-powered generators worth Rs65,000-100,000 to run the water supply schemes in their respective areas.

An official at the Chakdara grid station said on Sunday that the station was already receiving low voltage from the National Power House Tarbela. “We cannot increase voltage,” he said, adding that some flour mills falling in the jurisdiction of this grid had also complained of low voltage.

An official at the Timergara water supply and sanitation department told Dawn that low voltage and frequent power disruption were the main reason for non-functional of tube wells. He said the department had no extra funds to provide power generation to all of its tube wells.