RAWALPINDI: Residents of the cantonment areas on Friday staged a protest demonstration against the non-availability of water for the last many days.

The protest was held at Kalma Chowk at Bakra Mandi, which led to massive traffic congestion on almost all link roads. Protesters carried placards and banners and raised slogans against the top officials of the cantonment boards.

They also raised slogans against former MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed and his brother, MPA Malik Iftikhar Ahmed, who are both contesting the general elections from NA-61, PP-14 and PP-15 on PML-N tickets and against Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) member Haji Zafar Iqbal.

Threaten to boycott elections, surround offices of civic bodies

“Give water, get vote,” the protestors from Kamalabad, Garoti and the suburbs chanted. The rally started at Garoti Stop and ended at Kalma Chowk on Dhamial Road.

They said local politicians and concerned department had not done anything to address the issue and that they had not received water for the last many days.

Addressing the protestors, Itehad Ghazi Group Chairman Malik Nasir said officials of the cantonment boards are not listening to the complaints made by consumers. He warned the concerned authorities that residents will boycott the general elections if not supplied water and that they will also surround the offices of the cantonment boards.

“We have to get water via water tankers, which have raised their prices,” said a protestor, Kamran Khan. Many other protestors said they have boycotted the elections.

The areas most affected by the shortage of water are Tench Bhatta, Bakra Mandi, Kalma Chowk, Allahabad, Gulshan-i-Nayab, Chak Madad Khan, Habib Colony, Sultanabad, Dhoke Banaras, Gulistan Colony, Misrial Road, Chur Harpal and Siham. There are a few tubewells but they are not enough to satisfy the water requirements of these thickly populated areas.

Residents said they fear the situation may become worse with time as the civic bodies have no effective strategy to cope with the situation. RCB officials told Dawn that 100 complaints of water shortage are being received everyday of which only 20pc are attended to.

RCB water supply officials say the civic body is trying to provide water but is facing a shortage in supply from Khanpur Dam. They said cases of water theft from Khanpur Dam Canal are also increasing and as a result, the twin cities are being supplied with less and less water.

They said people should completely avoid washing their cars or homes till the situation improves and that water reservoirs can only improve if there are sustained rains in the coming monsoon.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2018