DERA GHAZI KHAN, July 1: The water supply scheme of the Fort Munro-Khar has not been functioning for long due to which acute shortage of water has become a constant headache for the locals as well as tourists.

Information gleaned by this correspondent revealed that a water can was being sold between Rs500 and Rs700 at Fort Munro. Hundreds of people had recently lodged their protest against shortage of potable water during the visit of the Dera Ghazi Khan district Nazim.

The scheme was established during the regime of Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari in 1997 at a cost of Rs100 million to provide drinking water to twin resorts - Fort Munro and Khar - besides contiguous tribal area.

The newly-established tribal area tehsil reportedly lacks resources to run the scheme, as the tehsil administration has failed to spend Rs6 million given by the district government for this purpose.

Meanwhile, District Nazim Jamal Khan Leghari told newsmen that 21 water supply schemes, including that of Fort Munro-Khar, in the Punjab would be run by the newly-established Public Health Directorate. He said the provincial government had given Rs10 million to maintain the water supply scheme of the area.