MIANWALI, Aug 2: Since the introduction of district government system, people in small towns and rural areas of the district are deprived of potable water during peak of summer season because tubewells go idle as Wapda severs electricity due to non-payment of bills.

The practice has become a regular feature. Despite persistent requests, provincial government is unmoved to solve the issue permanently. Water supply was suspended in the first week of July and residents of Tarag and Sultankhel in Isakhel tehsil blocked Bannu-Mianwali Road for three hours four days ago in protest against suspension.

Due to non-payment of electricity bills, Wapda disconnected power supply to 130 water supply schemes in the district which resulted in shortage of potable water.

Wapda revenue officer Hasan Mansoor told this correspondent on Monday that water supply schemes had been served notices for the last nine months for payment of electricity bills and the authority had to disconnect the power supply.

He said in Mianwali tehsil 75 water supply schemes were defaulter of Rs61,184,258, in tehsil Isakhel 52 schemes had Rs7,336,613 outstanding against them and in Piplan tehsil three schemes owed Rs92,989.

Mianwali tehsil Nazim Haji Khurshid Anwar Khan said when they got the charge of public health department, the government instructed them to form users' committee in every union council having water supply schemes and they should collect money from users in their areas and pay all dues. But due to non-cooperation of the people, the Nazims could not comply with the orders. He said the same situation was created last year and Wapda arrears were paid after deductions from tehsil grants.

Mr Khan urged the government to reconsider its instructions and directly pay the bills instead of depriving the tehsil governments of their funds. He said in urban areas none of the water supply schemes had been severed as water bills were paid by the consumers regularly.

It is learnt that MPA from Isakhel, Amanatullah Khan Shadikhel, got sanctioned some amount from the Punjab chief minister for restoration of water supply to Isakhel tehsil and payment of salaries to staff. But the Punjab finance department had blocked the payments without any cogent reason.