SHANGLA: Residents of Aloch, Matta, Rehman Abad and Nem Kallay areas of Puran tehsil have complained about acute water shortage.

They told reporters on Sunday that the areas had been facing acute water shortage for the last two weeks, forcing them to fetch water from far off areas.

They said that public health engineering department had installed two tube wells in the region, but they were lying idle after developing faults.

Khalid Khan, an elder from Matta village, said they had been facing water shortage for two weeks. He said children and women had to fetch water from distant springs.

He said two tube wells supplying water to the villages often remained non-functional. He said water supply from tube wells was also suspended for several days earlier this month.

“The water supply duration from the tube wells is not more than 20 minutes, and that is available to few specific people (influential), while rest of the villages are facing problem due to water shortage,” he claimed.

Syed Najeebullah, a resident of Nem Kallay village, said the area had been facing water shortage for last two months.

He said they had informed the public health engineering department officials several times about the problem, but to no avail.

Resident Faizullah said the water was a fundamental right of citizens, but neither the lawmakers nor officials of the department concerned were interested in resolving it.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025