PESHAWAR, March 24: The Galyat Development Authority (GDA) will commence work by next week on two reservoirs, each having a capacity of 50,000 gallons water to cater to the needs of the people residing in the hilly areas of Abbottabad.

Directives to this effect were issued by the Local Government and Rural Development Department secretary on Saturday during an appraisal visit of the water sources located at Galyat areas of Abbottabad, an official told Dawn here on Monday.

The provincial government had taken the decision for constructing water reservoirs in the backdrop of water crisis, which the local communities were facing at the moment, in a meeting held early this month in Peshawar.

As a follow-up of this decision, said the official, sites for the construction of water tanks were identified and GDA was directed to commence work on it so that water paucity could be contained before the next winter season.

Water supply to Murree town of district Rawalpindi from Galyat would be also reduced to store the same in those two reservoirs, he said.

Springs of Gilyat areas were the main source of water supply to the adjoining Murree town of the Rawalpindi district since 1961 through an agreement.

Under this agreement, which was signed between Hazara Hill Tract Improvement Trust and Joint Water Board Murree, the local population of Galyat had been given 10 per cent share in water coming out of the springs located within the Frontier province.

But so far no effort had been made to retain the allocated quantity of water from these springs that caused severe water shortage at Khanspur, Donga Gali and Ayubia areas of the district Abbottabad, a senior official at GDA requesting anonymity told Dawn.

It was also decided in the agreement that the two sides would review it from time to time in accordance to the needs of local population, the official said. “But no step could be made to this end as well,” he added.

“Our local population is suffering, so now we have to take remedial steps for countering the water paucity in these areas,” he said.

Though water supply from springs is a provincial subject, it is feared that Frontier government’s move for retaining 10 per cent share in the water supply to Murree will spark a controversy between the two provincial governments.