FAISALABAD: Umer Farooq, a subject specialist teacher at the Government Higher Secondary School, Rodo Sultan, has been struggling for five years to provide potable water to government schools and villages of Shorkot Tehsil, Jhang.

He managed to arrange several handpumps by donations from a Pakistani-origin doctor settled in Qatar and got them installed for free in various villages and state-run schools. However, he is now finding it difficult to maintain the pumps as people are removing their parts to allegedly trouble rivals. Drug addicts have also been found selling pumping rods to meet their needs.

Dr Shah Muhammad, a Pakistani serving in Qatar for years, was providing funds through a trust -- Alvi Trust -- for the handpumps after Farooq requested him.

“While visiting Dera Ghazi Khan, Khushab, Bhakkar and other areas, I assessed the problem of shortage of water for daily consumption. I also conducted a study in different areas of Shorkot tehsil and detected that several people had no means to get handpumps installed that were much cheaper than electric pumps,” Farooq told Dawn.

He said he had contacted the donor requesting him to donate for installation of handpumps.

“I sent him a request for the pumps. He sent a team for a survey and took care of the expenses for the installation,” he added.

The pumps had been installed in Waryyam Wala, Qaim Bharwana, Kot Farid Kathia, Budowana, Mirak Sial, Shah Sadiq Nahang, Jhala Bharwana, Kakowala, Athara Hazari, Waso Astana villages and other areas.

Shabbir Ahmed of Kot Farid Kathia, Shorkot said installation of handpumps at a corner of the road connecting three villages was a blessing. However, the pumping rod had been stolen depriving countless people of free sweet water. He alleged the poor had been struggling for sweet water, while the free handpump had fallen victim to rivalries.

“If a villager sees any of his rivals using the handpump, he silently removes one of its parts leaving it nonfunctional,” he claimed. He added the pump was unusable and nobody bothered to spend on its maintenance.

“A man removed the pumping rod of the pump only to teach a lesson to his sons who were consuming the water, and did not pay a penny for its repair,” Farooq lamented.

Asad, a paan shop owner near the Government High School, Qaim Bharwana, was happy with the installation of a handpump nearby even though it had hit his business. He said the pump had deprived him of customers who travelled between Faisalabad and Multan.

“Passengers used to get bottled water from my shop. But now I personally suggest they get water from the pump,” he added.

Asad criticised the locals and students who were using the pump water but ignoring cleanliness. Owing to their negligence a small pond had formed under the pump.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play