KOHAT: The Water Supply and Sanitation Company (WSSC), Kohat, has approved a gravity-based Rs550 million solarised water supply scheme for the phase-II of the posh KDA township from Bona Baba natural springs.

WSSC deputy general manager Tahir Afif stated this while briefing deputy commissioner Furqan Ashraf on the project on Wednesday.

Mr Afif said as the population grew the underground water table got decreased, aggravating the water shortage problem.

He said the new project would entail six kilometres of pipeline from the springs to the town and a pumping station at the Ghamkol refugee camp for filling of the overhead water tank. He said the WSSC tubewell on OTS Road could not fill the overhead tank in the city due to excessive electricity loadshedding.

DIGITAL MEDIA POLICY: Special assistant to chief minister on information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has said the government has formally approved the digital media policy keeping in view the importance of the most-viewed social media for displaying government advertisements, promoting its achievements and events on it.

Addressing a function at the Kohat Press Club on Wednesday, he said welfare of journalists was the government’s priority and said the government was introducing a journalists’ protection bill, which would be implemented after consulting senior media personnel and journalists’ organisations.

Barrister Saif said special packages would also be given to the families of the martyred and injured journalists. He said KP was the first province to approve the digital media policy.

Earlier, he took oath from the newly-elected cabinets of the Kohat Journalists Organisation and Kohat Press Club.

JIRGA: Addressing a peace jirga of Shia and Sunni elders of Orakzai district, Kohat division commissioner Javed Marwat and DIG Tahir Ayub impressed upon them to foil the elements wanting to disturb peace in the district during Muharram.

They said people should not pay heed to rumours spread on social media and confirm everything from the administration to foil the nefarious designs of the sinister elements.

They said Muharram was a sacred month of sacrifice that taught them to stand against tyranny and oppression. They said positive, good role of authentic news on social media was necessary to maintain tranquility.

The Shia and Sunni elders assured their cooperation to the administration in keeping pace and promoting brotherhood during the holy month.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022