RAWALPINDI: Despite having sufficient water at Khanpur Dam, many areas of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) are without water and the residents had to purchase the water from private water tankers.

The residents of the cantonment areas, including Afshan Colony, People’s Colony, Tench Bhatta, Misrial Road, and adjoining areas.

Muhammad Nisar, Tench Bhatta, said that the water shortage became a routine for the residential areas as the tube well operators rarely opened the supply.

He said that the RCB was informed about the water shortage, but it turned a blind eye to the issue. “The water supply from the tube wells are not regulated regularly and the operator opens the supply twice a week,” he said.

Fayyaz Minhas, a resident of Lane 5 Peshawar Road, said that the residents purchased the water tankers as the water supply was limited to influential people.

He said that the RCB was charging a heavy amount of water tax but failed to provide the water daily.

Muhammad Akram, a resident of Allahabad, in the absence of water on daily basis, the daily chores keep lying incomplete and women in the house had to face hardships. He said that they had to purchase a water tanker at Rs3,500 to meet the water shortage, which was an additional increase in household budget.

When contacted, RCB senior official said that the demand for the water increased but the civic body was working to improve the situation.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025