SHANGLA: Residents of Koz Alpuri have demanded immediate completion of work on a water supply scheme which has been delayed for long.

The residents told mediapersons here on Monday that the scheme was approved by an NGO some three years ago, which was scheduled to complete within three months.

“Our area lacks drinking water and residents have no option but to fetch water from remote Indus River. The densely populated area is located on the outskirts of district headquarters, Alpuri, but the dwellers are suffering acute water shortage,” Latif Khan, a local, said.

He claimed that most of pipes meant for the scheme had been stolen and the rest were being rusted.

Talimand, a local councillor, claimed that the contractor, an employee of public health and engineering department in Shangla, had left the project halfway. He said water tank had been constructed and main supply line was also connected with it, but water supply could not be started as yet.

The councillor said residents were hopeful that the scheme would be complete soon but the delay had disappointed them.

Khan Badshah, another local resident, said the elders had held several meetings with the authorities concerned, particularly with deputy commissioner and elected representatives, but to no avail.

The locals demanded of the authorities to make the scheme functional as soon as possible.

POLYTHENE BAGS: Assistant commissioner, Alpuri, Fidaul Karim on Monday launched a crackdown on use of polythene bags and fined several shopkeepers in the district headquarters and its outskirts for selling the bags despite ban. He also recovered polythene bags from the traders during raids in Alpuri, Koz, Dherai, Bely Baba and Rahim Abad markets.

The officer asked the shopkeepers to start using biodegradable shopping bags and avoid using polythene bags as the latter was not only hazardous for health but also harmful for environment.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2019