KARAK: The local elders have demanded of the authorities to complete more than 180 drinking water supply schemes before launching new ones to overcome shortage of drinking water in the district.

The demand was made during a meeting of the elders here on Monday. The meeting was addressed by Shamshirullah, Tahir Iqbal, Haider Zaman and Haq Nawaz.

They said that the abandoned water supply schemes had been launched with the production bonus of oil and gas funds during the previous provincial government of PTI but the projects were left incomplete.

They said that district government had already imposed ban no initiating new water supply schemes from oil and gas royalty funds or production bonus funds but despite the ban new projects were launched.

The speakers said that 186 drinking water supply projects were left halfway by the departments concerned that created problems for the people. They said that 141 such schemes were launched in PK-86 and 45 in PK-85 constituencies of the district. They said that the incomplete projects should be completed.

The participants of the meeting threatened to launch a protest movement if the district government and elected representatives did not complete the abandoned projects.

GAS OUTAGES: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) has issued schedule of gas loadshedding for winter and stated that gas would be provided to domestic consumers at morning and evening times.

According to the schedule, gas loadshedding would be observed on Karak-DI Khan line. The gas would not be supplied to the industrial consumers for four months from December to March. Supply of gas to CNG stations would also remain suspended for four months.

The local people showed concerns over the gas loadshedding schedule and said that they were already facing the problem of low gas pressure.

They demanded smooth supply of gas to the domestic consumers in the district during winter and threatened to protest if the schedule was implemented.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018