KOHAT: The five dysfunctional water filtration plants in the old bus stand and the KDA Township have become a permanent nuisance for the residents of the municipality area and the town.

At present, nobody is ready to take responsibility for installation of the new plant at old bus stand, as Water Supply and Sanitation Company and tehsil municipal administration have been trading barbs over the issue.

About the years old problem of water supply to the city by WSSC its chief executive said they had put forward demand for Rs3 billion. He hoped that they would get the money under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa infrastructure programme after which all problems would be resolved.

He said the filtration plants in KDA Township would be replaced if they got the money for projects.

The plant at the old bus stand installed in 2015 was burnt a year ago after the businessmen lit fire to the garbage in rage against not removing it by the TMA for months.

WSSC chief executive Rauf Khan, when contacted, said the plant was the responsibility of TMA while TMO Mohammad Shoeb blamed the former for it.

About the dysfunctional four plants in KDA Township, deputy director Fasiullah Khan told this correspondent that whenever he complained to WSSC they accused Pesco for it. He said continuous inflow of water was required, but due to power loadshedding it was not possible to run the plants.

However, Rauf Khan admitted that two machines of the tubewells had ceased which had disrupted the water supply.

BANNED: Deputy commissioner, Kohat, imposed section 144 against collection of animal hides by banned organisations here on Thursday.

A notification issued here said that the ban would be applicable for 15 days from the first day of Eidul Azha.

KOHAT TUNNEL: The beauty of Kohat tunnel has been marred by fused and blur lights, which need immediate replacement.

Similarly, the tiles have gone blackish due to presence of heavy smoke inside the tunnel round the clock since its inauguration in 2003.

When contacted, a former NHA official who remained associated with construction work of the tunnel, Mohammad Jamshed, said on Thursday that for some time the lights were imported from Japan. However, after the two suicide blasts inside the tunnel in 2011 the lights must have been replaced by the authorities.

Her regretted that almost a decade had past, but due to incompetence of the relevant quarters they were not being changed. And same was the case with tiles. He said the tiles were local and could be changed easily or at least washed.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2020