GUJAR KHAN: A severe drinking water crisis has resurfaced in Pind Dadan Khan tehsil, particularly affecting residents of the Kahana locality, who are being forced to share muddy, contaminated water with animals during the sweltering summer, locals confirmed.

Residents of Kahana, part of Union Council Kandowaal in Jhelum district, have staged processions to draw attention to their plight, but to no avail. They have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to take immediate action to resolve the water supply issues in the vicinity of the Khewra Salt Mines, where the subsoil water is brackish and the local administration is allegedly ignoring their suffering.

Sources revealed that the main water supply system, which relies on gravity to transport water from Niromy Dhan in the Salt Range, is plagued by frequent breakages and pilferage, allegedly with the connivance of some local Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) workers.

Malik Zaheer Awan, a prominent local journalist, told Dawn that for the past two months, there has been no water supply to Kahana and nearby localities.

With no access to clean water, residents are left to collect filthy water from ponds, letting the mud settle before drinking it just to survive. The 16-kilometre duct from Niromy Dhan is meant to supply water to several villages including Kahana, Bagga, Jandra, Kotla Syedan, Sial, Esaa Waal, Raj Sar, Syed Rehman, Bhana, Kot Lakhial, Maliar, Lillah Sharif, Dhaddi Thal, Jaithal and Mandhaar.

However, locals report that water only reaches Lillah Sharif, Dhaddi Thal and Jaithal, while the pipeline to Kahana has been broken for months, 2km from the village. Desperate villagers, including women and children, spend nights waiting to collect water from the broken pipeline or dig temporary pits in swampy areas — which have now dried due to extreme heat.

Nayer Malik, another local journalist, described the situation as a “human tragedy” ignored by the PHED and the divisional authorities of Rawalpindi. He noted that last year, under the tenure of Assistant Commissioner Osama Sheron, illegal connections were dismantled and the water supply system was briefly restored.

However, since his transfer, maintenance has lapsed and illegal water pilferage has resumed, leaving communities without this essential resource.

He also mentioned a dedicated water supply scheme for Kahana, sourcing water from the Jhelum River 8km away. While infrastructure — including a tubewell and pipeline — was completed six months ago, it remains non-functional due to the absence of electricity. According to PHED’s SDO Mr Nasir Butt, the demand notice for the electricity connection has yet to be issued.

When contacted, the Superintending Engineer of PHED Rawalpindi Circle declined to comment, stating he was not authorised but promised to direct the XEN PHED Jhelum to look into the matter. SDO Nasir Butt acknowledged the ongoing hardships and admitted that pipeline breakages and water theft were significant issues.

He said PHED teams would soon begin an operation against illegal connections.

Both the local journalist community and residents urge the chief minister to send high-level provincial teams to assess the dire situation in Pind Dadan Khan, where, despite being at the foot of the historic Khewra Salt Mines and Salt Range, residents continue to suffer from acute water shortages and lack of basic facilities.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2025