SKARDU, July 7: The residents of Sino village in Ghanche district are facing a lot of difficulties due to non-availability of clean drinking water.

People from different localities told this reporter that other towns and villages in the Ghanche district have received the facility through water supply schemes, but the Sino village has not, thanks to the negligence and apathetic attitude of the authorities concerned.

The residents of this village feel as if they are living in a stone age.

A villager said: “The authorities of the Local Bodies and Rural Development (LB&RD) had launched a water supply project in the area eight years ago. The construction of water tank had been completed, and even pipelines had been laid in some villages. But the contractor, after receiving bills of the project, left the rest of the work incomplete.

“Since then, neither the authorities of the LB&RD have asked the contractor to complete the project nor has the contractor himself initiated the work,” he added.

Ghulam Mehdi, another resident, said: “Despite submitting several complaints with the authorities as well as with the local elected representatives, the situation has not changed.”

During a survey conducted by Dawn, it was observed that due to lack of sense, the people in villages located upsteam were flushing their garbage in the same stream which was used by the people living downstream.

Some people even take bath in the stream used by those living downstream.

The villagers feared that due to dirt and polluted water, the water-borne diseases could further rise. Already, cases of gastroenteritis were on the increase in the area.

The dwellers of Sikser, Garbi ground, Rzanaq, Karimabad, Pholaqpi Ground and Fushu Khore have demanded of the adviser local bodies, northern areas, and secretary LB&RD northern areas to take personal interest in getting the abandoned water supply project completed.