VEHARI, July 21: Shortage of potable water due to the alleged negligence of tehsil municipal administration has become a nuisance for people.

Dawn learnt on Sunday that several localities in Vehari had been facing water shortage for the last four years.

The water supply schemes in Vehari started in 1958 for the population of 7,000. The sole water reservoir, having the capacity of 50,000 gallons, was constructed in 1965.

Currently, some 10 tubewells had been providing water to various parts of the district. One of those has for the last two months been out of order in Chak 9-11/WB. The TMA has over 6,000 water consumers and it charges Rs30 a month from each. Some 20 operators have been appointed to run these tubewells.

However, these operators allegedly stay most of the time away from duty. The six water reservoirs in the district are in dilapidated condition. People have to cover long distances to fetch potable water.

In some localities, people have ‘illegally’ installed pumps over official water pipelines, depriving hundreds of people of drinking water.

When contacted, Tehsil Municipal Officer Inayatullah Fani told this correspondent that the public health department had installed tubewells and then handed these over to the municipal committee in 1980. After June 30, 2002, he said the department became a part of the TMA which would be responsible for their maintenance. The TMA was chalking out a plan to solve the water shortage problem, he claimed.

He said the administration had recently got four water filtration plants installed in the main city, Chak 9-11/WB, Madina Colony and in the Taimoor Shahid Colony. He urged the people to deposit the water charges regularly.