RAWALPINDI: Sadiqabad residents’ protest against water shortage on Tuesday night led to the dismissal of two tubewell operators of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) for being absent from their duty.

The protest took place late night after Taraweeh prayers, during which the residents blamed the tubewell operators for being absent and failing to ensure proper water supply to many localities during Ramazan. Local police and district administration managed to convince the people that their problems will be addressed.

On Wednesday morning, Wasa Managing Director (MD) Raja Shaukat Mehmood conducted a surprise raid at the tubewells from where water is supplied to Sadiqabad and its adjoining areas. He found operators Mushtaq Ahmed and Muneebullah, deputed at Chaklala tubewell and Sadiqabad tubewell, respectively, absent from duty. The managing director immediately terminated services of both operators and asked the staff to restore uninterrupted water supply during Ramazan.

A senior Wasa official told Dawn that the residents of Sadiqabad staged a protest, while residents of NA-52, which includes Chaklala, Shah Khalid Colony, Dhoke Hafiz and Dhoke Pannu, contacted Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is the public representative of the area.

The interior minister had expressed dissatisfaction over the issue and asked Wasa to restore water supply immediately.

When contacted, Wasa MD Raja Shaukat Mehmood said the civic agency was trying hard to provide water to all residents, but some “black sheep” in the organisation had earned a bad name for it.

He said Wasa had established a complaint cell to receive customer grievances regarding supply of water. He said the agency would not tolerate the negligence of its officials and departmental action would be taken against those found slacking off.

For Jumatul Wida and Eid days, he said Wasa had assigned officials to check water supply, adding that he would personally visit different tubewells to check whether the officials were on duty or not.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2014