THATTA, May 9: More than half of the water supply schemes initiated under the Annual Development Programme, Thatta Beautification Plan, Khushhal Pakistan Programme and Rural Development Programme in District Thatta, particularly in the far-flung areas by the Public Health Engineering Department, are lying inoperative.

The 43 inoperative water supply schemes out of a total of 62 include: water supply scheme for village Haji Sher Khan, village Alhaj Sher Ali Shah, Bannu, Raj Malik, Madi, Gujo, Thaheem, Usman Hejab, Haji Abdullah Bikak, Keti Bunder, Nodo Baran and others.

Misappropriation of public funds, vested interests and ill- planning are said to be the prime reasons behind the failures.

A visit to a number of schemes lying idle, including Keti Bunder, revealed that due to lack of water in the downstream, the entire delta was facing salinity conditions.

Some 20,000 people of Keti Bunder, once called the Kashmir of Laar (lower Sindh), are compelled to fetch potable water 25 miles away from Gorabari.

In the year 2001, Rs 2.5 million were allocated for the rehabilitation of the scheme, primarily constructed with the help of UNICEF, but the contractor on receipt of advance payment of Rs 1.1 million reportedly abandoned work and is missing.

Sources said the governor’s inspection team has initiated an inquiry into misappropriations of funds for Keti Bunder, Sujawal, and Chuhar Jamali water supply and urban drainage scheme.

In many cases administrators and now Nazims of the concerned union councils have flatly refused to take over the charge of these schemes, saying that they were facing technical difficulties.

However, many of the schemes have been completed on papers, and its funds duly embezzled.

DRIVER KILLED: A truck driver, Wali Mohammad Shaikh, was killed and three others were injured in a head on collision on the National Highway, near Hamid Farm here on Wednesday.