MURREE: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and senior PTI leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed on Monday said the water shortage in the hill resort was mainly due to mismanagement and poor planning of the Punjab government.

Speaking at a press conference, he said the Neelum-Jhelum bulk water supply scheme was launched by the previous government for the supply of water to the hill station, but work on the project was stopped by the PML-N government despite the fact that billions of rupees had already been spent on it. He said had the project been completed there would not have been any water shortage in the town.

He said years old water pipelines laid by the British government had completed their life and had almost been damaged.

Private tankers have made a cartel in the absence of a proper water supply network. Though they cater to the water needs of a heavy number of tourists, they cost Rs8,000 to Rs20,000 per tanker, and usually provide water fetched from nullahs which cause a number of diseases, the PTI leader added.

PTI Northern Punjab president Sadaqat Ali Abbasi and MPA Arif Ali Abbasi, were also present on the occasion. They vowed to launch a protest if the problems of Murree including the shortage of water and parking spaces were not solved.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016