RAWALPINDI: After heavy rains and flood-like situation in the garrison city, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) sought Rs100 million from the Punjab government on Monday to repair 10 tubewells, water supply lines, machinery and damaged property.

The rains had led to a disruption in water supply to Dhama Syedan, Soan Christian Colony, Javed Colony, Arya Mohallah and some inner parts of the city.

Know more: Ombudsman takes notice of lapse of Wasa budget

More than seven tubewells along Soan River were completely damaged and the water supply lines to nearby localities were damaged.

More than a dozen transformers and water pumps were also damaged in the city.

The low-lying areas in Rawalpindi are still without water supply, even though the residents had asked Wasa to repair the damaged water supply lines.

“We have been without water supply for the last two days and Wasa officials are not listening to our complaints,” said Mohammad Azhar, a resident of Dhama Syedan.

Various parts of Rawalpindi have no water supply as tubewells, supply lines and machinery got amaged during the downpour

Khurram Raja, a resident of Dhoke Chaudhrian, said people were facing water shortage for two days. He said the supply lines were damaged, but not a single Wasa representative had arrived to repair them.

Wasa Managing Director (MD) Raja Shaukat Mehmood admitted, while talking to Dawn, that there was shortage of water in some localities due to damages caused by rain.

He said: “Tubewells along Soan River were completely damaged. Some transformers and water pumps were also inundated, but the agency is working to repair them and provide water to the affected people through tankers.”

He said Wasa had requested the government to provide financial help for repairing the damaged structures. He said the government had asked the agency to assess damages so that funds could be released accordingly.

Mr Mehmood said he had formed a committee of Wasa officials to list the damaged machinery and tubewells and estimate the cost of repair.

“The agency had to install new tubewells along Soan River as it was not possible to repair the damaged ones,” he said.

The boundary wall of the proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Adiala was also damaged when Soan River overflowed its banks, the Wasa managing director said, adding that “the funds are also required to reconstruct the wall otherwise encroachers would grab the land.”

Published in Dawn, September 9th , 2014