KOHAT: MPA Maj retired Shahdad Khan, head of a local committee, has demanded release of the sanctioned Rs1.54 billion for completion of the Greater Water Supply Scheme (GWSS) in the oil and gas-rich PK-81 constituency of Kohat.

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, he said the money was allocated by the provincial government in 2017, but only Rs15 million were released, thus jeopardising the project.

The lawmaker said they had been holding meetings which the higher authorities of the provincial government for last few years to release the required amount for early completion of the project, but to no avail.

Mr Shahdad said the then Awami National Party government in the province had approved Chashmi water supply project for the constituency and also allocated Rs50 million for it, but the project could not be complete after laying of the pipeline.

He said both the projects were to bring water from the Indus.

The MPA said the area supplied oil and gas to the whole country but the people were suffering due to water shortage. He said the residents had been getting water through tankers at great cost.

Mr Shahdad accused the oil and gas exploration companies of failing to launch a tree plantation drive to help minimise the effects of pollution the exploration activity was causing in the area. He regretted that PK-81 was a mountainous and dry land, but no plantation was carried out there under the Billion Tree Tsunami project of the government.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2021