GUJAR KHAN: The residents of Gujar Khan cityface acute water shortage and residents believe that its solution lies in construction overhead water reservoir but the municipal authorities are waiting for the provincial planning and development (P&D) department approval for its construction.

According to a survey conducted by this reporter there are about 19 thickly populated residential wards in three union councils of the city falling under the jurisdiction of Gujar Khan municipality. The population of the town is over 200,000.

The residents of Gujar Khan tehsil headquarters complained that the municipality supplied water twice a week for 30 minutes.

Mohammad Ehsaan, a resident of ward No 1 complained that he was getting water for 20 minutes after three or four days and was not provided at a fixed time as a result of which they often could not store water.

Residents say solution to problem lies in construction of overhead water reservoir

Mohammad Hasnain, a resident of Barki Jadeed area, said they had been facing water scarcity for the last 10 years and no serious effort had been made by the government to resolve it.

Syed Sadaf Abbas Kazmi, the municipal officer infrastructure (MOI) Gujar Khan Municipal Administration when contacted, said the current infrastructure of water supply consists of 23 tubewells and only one overhead reservoir with the storage capacity of 100,000 gallons.

He said the overhead reservoir constructed in the sixties had been in dilapidated condition and was awaiting demolition0.

He said that out of 23 water pumps 21 were working and due to unvailability of any other overhead reservoir the municipality was forced to supply water to the consumers through direct pumping in the supply lines, that, according to the officer, was not appropriate.

He said that five tubewells and four water reservoirs were required to be constructed to meet the needs of over 100,000 population.

He further said that a proposal for the construction of one overhead water reservoir with the capacity of 75,000 gallons storage was planned by the municipality and the scheme was duly approved by the district development committee (DDC) Rawalpindi and funds for execution of the project were available with the municipal committee but the approval from the Punjab government was awaited.

Mr Husnain, the superintending engineer (SE) of Public Health Engineerin Department (PHED when contacted said that it was a futuristic and feasible project and is repeatedly sent to the provincial government for inclusion in the annual development programme of the Punjab government but unfortunately it could not be carried for want of political backing from local representatives.

He said that if the political backing of the elected representatives given water shortage issue in Gujar Khan would be resolved on long term basis.

Senator Pervez Rasheed when apprised by Mr Shahzad Qureshi, a prominent journalist about the aggravated situation of water shortage in the city, the senator said that the water shortage issue would be resolved by bringing the issue into the notice of the chief minister Punjab,Maryam Nawaz Sharif at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024