PESHAWAR, Jan 24: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has yet to provide power connections to 37 newly-installed tubewells in Peshawar and its surrounding areas, sources said.

Officials of the city Water Supply and Sanitation Division and Works and Services told Dawn that the city district government had completed 48 water supply schemes in different localities of the provincial metropolis under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP).

Despite the fact that a sum of Rs5.78 million had been paid, Pesco had, so far, failed to install transformers and provide connections to 37 out of 48 tubewells, according to an official.

The city district government released a sum of Rs102.135 million for 48 water supply schemes in the jurisdiction of four town municipal administrations to overcome the shortage of drinking water in many parts of the city and its surrounding localities.

Pesco, however, energised only two tubewells out of 19 schemes completed in Town-I and Town-4, while in Town-2 and Town-3 the company provided power connection to nine tubewells out of 29 newly-installed tubewells.

An official of the Public Health Engineering Department said despite payment, the company had yet to energise the water supply schemes.

A Pesco official said the company would soon start installation of transformers and demand for the supply of material had been sent to the concerned office.