KOHAT: The cost of a water supply scheme, which was launched in the oil and gas-rich Shakardarra area here at a cost of Rs1.52 billion in 2015, has escalated to Rs2.5 billion due to inordinate delay to pump water from the River Indus, sources said.

It is to be noted here that water supply schemes in the area were also launched in 2011 and 2014 at a cost of Rs140 million, but the fate of the schemes is not known.

The sources said the projects could see light of the day even though feasibility studies costing Rs7.2 million were conducted.

Javed Khattak, a social worker, demanded of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe the case.

He said the schemes were abandoned due to the high operational costs as they were to be run on diesel-powered generators to pump water from river.

Mr Khattak expressed remorse that the diesel generators bought with a cost of millions of rupees were rusting under the open sky.

He claimed a NAB official had told him if the Supreme Court struck down an appeal pending with it regarding irregularities in the projects, then the bureau would investigate the case. He, however, said the matter might also be referred to the anti-corruption department or the Federal Investigation Agency.

The social activist said he had also taken up the case with a senior bureaucrat sometimes back, but had received no response from him.

Meanwhile, officials on condition of anonymity told Dawn that funds meant for water supply schemes in three urban and rural union councils, including Rehmanabad, had gone down the drain, leaving the locals at the mercy of tanker mafia.

The people complained the Oil and Gas Development Company claimed to provide water to the residents through tankers, but actually, the influential people got benefited.

NONCONFORMING USE: The administration of posh Kotal Housing Authority has given a deadline of Mar 28, 2023, to all schools and government and commercial organisations to vacate the residential areas, which have become a permanent irritant to the occupants of the locality.

The order has been issued by the director urban area development authority in light of the much-awaited verdict of the Peshawar High Court to seal all such establishments.

Asim Khan, an official, told Dawn that at present there were hundreds of illegal educational institutions, medical companies, medical clinics and hospitals, medicine stores, anti-corruption department and shops functioning in the residential areas. He regretted that their all warnings had been falling on deaf ears despite serving scores of notices during the last 20 years.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2023