SWAT: The residents of different villages in Kotanai union council in the district said that they faced shortage of drinking water, demanding of the government to immediately sink wells in their area.

The residents of Yousafabad, Sor Kamar and Karimabad said that they had been facing water shortage for a long time due to which they had to fetch water from faraway places.

“Our children and women have to walk to other villages from where they fetch water and carry them on their heads and shoulders,” said Akbar Ali, a resident of Karimabad. He added that it was a tiresome job for children and women.

They villagers said that they repeatedly asked the elected representatives and non-governmental organisations to sink water wells in their villages but to no avail.

“We have asked every elected representative and other relevant authorities to initiate drinking water supply schemes in our villages but nobody accepted our request. We do not know where to go and whom to ask for resolution of the issue,” said Jamil Ahmad, another resident of the area.

The residents said that some well-off families in the area could arrange for vehicles to bring water but the poor had to carry the water pots on their shoulders and heads.

“We have temporarily installed a pipeline from the tubewell of the nearby villages but it is not sufficient as it supplies a less quantity of water to us,” said Gohar Khan, another resident of the area. He added that the pipeline was also leaked at several locations.

The residents also said that the sewerage line in their village was also in bad shape while the drinking water supply lines were also installed in the sewerage lines that contaminated water.

The villagers demanded of the government to immediately execute drinking water supply schemes in the area.

MPA Sardar Ahmad Khan, when contacted, said that provincial government was not giving funds to him as he belonged to opposition benches. “Anyway, I will talk to the relevant minister for the approval of drinking water supply schemes in the three villages,” he added.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2020