RAHIM YAR KHAN, April 18 Unavailability of potable water to the citizens due to inoperative filtration plant has resulted in outbreak of many ailments. The plant has not been used since August 2009.

The Tehsil Municipal Administration has failed to spare a paltry Rs15,000 a month to operate and maintain the project. The negligence has left hundreds of people to face waterborne diseases.

The Federal Ministry of Environment launched the Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) project in 2008 under the Khushaal Pakistan Program. The Environment Protection Agency, which was tasked with installation of water filtration plants in many parts of the country, signed a contract with Rain Drop, a Lahore-based firm, for construction of a water filtration plant in Rahim Yar Khan.

The EPA was responsible for operating and maintaining this plant for three years. In August 2008, it transferred the funds of the project to the Ministry of Local Government Punjab on an O&M (operate and maintain) basis. The ministry entered into a fresh agreement with Rain Drop the same month for one year.

The TMA provided one-marla land on the bank of Noushehra Minor at Garden Area Water Supply Scheme along with water supply and electric connection. This plant was completed and got functional on Sept 11, 2008. The private company deputed an operator to operate and maintain this plant, who successfully did his job which included filtration, chlorination and sterilisation processes every month till August 2009. The monthly expenditure on the entire process is Rs15,000.

In August 2009, the 'media' was not changed and water specimen was tested and found unsuitable for drinking. Thereafter, the plant became non-functional. On Dec 23, 2009, the TMA requested the local government director general to provide guidelines on how to proceed further with the project.

The TMA subsequently sent three reminders to the DG, that is, on Jan 25, 2010, March 2, and March 11 and the copies of these reminders were also sent to the local government secretary and Rahim Yar Khan DCO Dr Ahmad Javaid Qazi but there was no response to date.

The plant was built at a cost of Rs3.5 million in 2008 and now its price is approximately Rs6.8 million according to the manager of Rain Drop. If this plant is not made functional within two months, it will expire.

TMA official Ayesha Hameed said they had sent many requests to the LG department director general but to no avail. She said she was pursuing the matter and would try her best to help the citizens in this regard.