With the advent of the summer season, the water supply system in Daska and Sambrial cities is once again showing symptoms of collapse, while the areas are going to suffer a lot like previous years. The pipelines are leaking while water supply remains suspended for hours for one reason or another. But no plan has so far been framed to supply sufficient water to the city. One major reason as often given by the tehsil municipal administration is frequent power outages and this is how the authorities try to shirk responsibility and blame others for their own negligence. In fact, these pipelines have become old and worn out, particularly in old parts of the Daska and Sambrial cities. Most of these pipelines are leaking and have rusted. Another factor that makes these supply lines even worse is rains. When the rainwater mixed with garbage and sewage enters the pipelines through leaks, contaminates drinking water and makes people vulnerable to many diseases. Bacteria and many other harmful germs enter the pipelines through leaks and spreads epidemics such as diarrhea, cholera and others. Moreover, there has been no regular maintenance, so a large number of these pipelines have been damaged beyond repair. Even in some newly constructed localities where new pipelines have been laid down, checking revealed the poor and substandard material was used by contractors. Water supply pipelines were laid down in 1940, for the first time, wby the British rulers. As many as 10 wells were dug and steam engines working with diesel used to draw and supply water to the city. With the passage of time, more and more supply lines were laid down as per demand. Currently, 34 out of total 36 water filtration plants are lying out of order in Daska and Sambrial and city and only two plants are working to quench the thirst of the people of Daska and Sambrial cities. The water filtration plants installed in various parts of both the cities several years ago to supply potable water to the people are lying out of order owing to the alleged slackness of tehsils municipal administrations (TMAs). Reportedly, all the taps and pipes of these plants have been stolen. On the other hand, the contaminated water mixed with toxic pollutants of the tanneries set up in the area between Upper Chenab Canal (UCC) and Marala Ravi Link (MR Link) Canal near Sambrial is not only adversely affecting the fertility of the soil but also posing serious threat to human lives by spreading asthma, hepatitis and other diseases. Local social, political, religious and business circles have expressed grave concern over this nasty situation, demanding the Gujranwala commissioner and the DCO to take serious notice of it and adopt effective measures for make these plants functional.
