RAWALPINDI, May 10: With mercury rising, water has become a rare commodity in different localities of the city, making lives of the citizens miserable.

Residents of Rawalpindi have accused the authorities concerned of being indifferent to their problems and have paid no heed to their repeated requests.

The worst-affected localities include Tench Bhatta, Mughalabad, Azizabad, Peshawar Road, Naseerabad, Misrial Road, Saddar, Allama Iqbal Colony, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Stadium Road, Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Mangtal, Fauji Colony, Pirwadhai, Railway Carriage Factory area, Chirah Road, Khurram Colony, Afendi Colony and Khayaban-i-Sir Syed.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) officials told this reporter on Tuesday that as many as 100 to 150 complaints were being received daily about water shortage in these localities.

They claim that they try to attend to all complaints but it is not possible for them to supply water to all the complainants due to shortage of water tankers.

Mohammad Hasan, a resident of Shamsabad, said they were facing water shortage for the last many days and were left with no choice but to buy water at Rs700 to Rs900 per tanker.

He said he informed the Wasa officials that the entire locality was facing shortage, but the officials did not heed to his complaint.

Another resident, Fareed Ahmed, said water was not available in the mosques and the people had to do ablution at homes.

“We have not been receiving water for the last 10 days. Despite registering complaints with the RCB, the problem still persists,” Imran Akbar, a resident of Misrial Road, said, adding that water shortage had made their lives miserable.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Chaudhry Naseer said the shortage would come to an end on Wednesday (today) as supply from Khanpur Dam was being restored.

He said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would increase water supply from 10 million gallons water daily (11 MGD) to 15 MGD to Rawalpindi city and the cantonment. He said the supply was reduced following breach in the left bank of the canal at Khanpur Dam.

“Work to plug the breach has completed and supply would be restored on today,” he said. “As per plan, the supply would have been restored on last Saturday but the Wasa, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and CDA teams could not complete the work due to some technical problem.”

He said Wasa started rationing in those areas where water was supplied from Khanpur Dam.

He said the agency also provided water through tankers free of cost to the affected localities.

He said with the arrival of summer, the water consumption increased manifold and the agency was striving hard to fulfill the demand of the residents.

He expressed hope that the water shortage would come to an end today (Wednesday).

In this regard, a Rawalpindi Cantonment Board official when contacted said that the RCB was trying its best to provide water to those localities which suffered due to reduction of water supply from Khanpur Dam.

He said that the CDA had reduced its water share from 9 MGD to 7 MGD which would be restored today (Wednesday).