KOHAT: The Water Supply and Sanitation Company (WSSC), Kohat, on Thursday started cleaning the city’s famous springs in Junglekhel following uproar on social media by removing garbage to open its outflow and end the stink. The springs still provide respite to the local people from scorching heat.

The garbage was being removed as the water flow to the newly-constructed women’s swimming pool had virtually been jeopardised.

Local social organisations have been complaining about the dumping of garbage and blockage of the springs for the last one week.

Social workers Dr Hashim and paramedics association’s president Rashid Bokhari from the area had also demanded deployment of police and regular cleaning of the public place.

They said that a traffic warden should be deployed at the place to check traffic jams caused by rickshaws and motorcycles.

They said the people who took bath in the springs except at their mouth and inside the four British-era tunnels had to take showers again with soap at home.

They recalled that once the waters were crystal clear which had now turned murky due to lack of maintenance.

Similarly, there is no check on throwing garbage in the springs for which police should be deployed to take action against the violators.

SEIZED: The wildlife department, Kohat division, seized two chicks of falcons in an intelligence-based operation in Sumari Payan on Thursday.

The department’s director Abdul Samad Wazir told this correspondent that sub-divisional officer Shabbir Ahmed had got information that some people had captured chicks of wild falcons which were to be smuggled to Karachi.

He said the chicks would be transferred to DI Khan rehabilitation centre where the staff would raise them.

ARRESTED: The police on Thursday arrested an alleged head of a gang of land mafia and sent him to Bannu central prison under 3 MPO.

A statement issued here from the office of DPO Sohail Khalid said he had been receiving complaints against Rafiullah alias Bato for grabbing land and holding paid jirgas for minting money from innocent people.

The DPO vowed that the operation would continue till arrest of the last member of land mafia.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2021