TIMERGARA: Residents of Timergara city on Sunday demanded of the district administration to take notice of the contaminated drinking water being supplied to them.

Talking to mediapersons, the citizens pointed out that water from drains entered tubewells and other water sources. They said that there had been no arrangement for sewerage in the city and rainwater accumulated near the tubewells.

They said that three of the city’s tubewells supplying water to the whole locality had been surrounded by stagnant water coming from the hospital, hotels and houses.

Say contaminated water being supplied to them from the city’s tubewells

They demanded of the authorities concerned to resolve the problem to protect people from diseases. They also asked them to take steps for filtration of water.

Meanwhile, All NTS Teachers’ Association has demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to regularise their services. In this regard, a meeting of the association was held here on Sunday with its president Bakht Mohammad in the chair.

The meeting said that thousands of teachers were recruited by the PTI-led government in the province on ad hoc basis. They threatened to organise a protest if the government failed to regularise their services within a month.

FARMERS’ RIGHTS: Pakistan Kisan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) on Sunday demanded of the world powers to compensate the developing countries for their losses due to globalisation and WTO policies in agriculture sector.

The demand was made during the PKMT’s 5th provincial assembly held at Bagh Dherai here. The PKMT members from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including its provincial coordinator Fayaz Ahmad, attended the assembly, which was presided over by its national coordinator Altaf Hussain.

The speakers said that the government was pursuing policies that advocated production of genetically-engineered cotton allowing hegemonic transnational seed companies to take control of seeds and land production.

Mr Hussain said that climate change had been distorting rain-fed lands resulting in decreased production. He said that due to globalisation, Pakistan was importing grains, potato, onion etc affecting local growers.

The PKMT leaders also criticised the government for passing certain laws promoting hybrid and genetically-modified seeds of cotton, maize and wheat.

They demanded of the government to put a moratorium on genetically-modified technology so that national genetic resources, biodiversity and farmers’ rights could be protected.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2017