PESHAWAR, May 24: The Provincial Earthquake Rehabilitation Agency (Pera) has said that 80 per cent of the area of the earthquake-affected Balakot tehsil has been provided with clean drinking water on sustainable basis.

More than 200 water supply schemes out of a total of 261 have been completed in Balakot tehsil, with the estimated cost to be incurred on the project, when completed, was estimated at Rs220 million, a press release issued here on Saturday said. The Pera has also directed line departments to ensure completion of the remaining water supply schemes in affected areas by June. The release said that natural water sources had been identified and developed.

The Mansehra public health engineering has purchased pipes costing Rs77 million which would be laid down in the tehsil shortly.

Four water testing laboratories funded by the WHO and executed by PCRWR in four districts of Abbottabad, Mansehra, Batagram and Mingora are in the pipe line, the press release concluded.