HARIPUR: The villagers of Sirikot union council have complained of serious water shortage.

Waqar Shah, Mohammad Shaukat, Haji Gul Shah and others told reporters that the tube well, which supplied drinking water to over 10 small and large villages, had gone out of order around a week ago.

They said the public health engineering department officials had claimed that the tube well’s electric motor had burned out to cause the problem, but they didn’t ensure its repair.

The residents said they had to fetch water from natural springs and distant places on foot to their misery.

The villagers warned that they would take to the streets if water supply to their areas was not restored within two days.

When contacted, an official of the public health engineering department claimed that the faulty machine was being replaced.

He said water supply to the village would resume within few hours.

Meanwhile, a local court has convicted a resident of his wife’s murder and sentenced him to 16 years imprisonment.Javed of Mohallah Umarabad in Serae Saleh area had killed Shaista Bibi on Sept 20, 2017, after altercation. The couple was issueless.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2020