Residents of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s constituency, NA-120, continue to suffer from acute shortage of water in scorching heat as the authorities have fail to resolve the issue, Pakistan Today has learnt.
While citizens all over the city have been facing shortage of water, areas in PM’s own constituency, which form the residential and commercial hub of the provincial capital have been especially made to feel the pinch because there isn’t even an adequate infrastructure in place to ensure supply of water to citizens during hot summer months. While water shortage in other areas is linked to load shedding, the PM’s constituency doesn’t have a functional tube-well which can be used to take water from the ground.
The prime minister has been addressing public gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, inaugurating and groundbreaking various projects and criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s provincial government for not having created the Naya Pakistan that the PTI sold to the people in the 2013 elections. However, water shortage in PM’s own constituency is taking some of the shine off the PM’s promises to the KP people.
Residents of union councils located near the Mall Road are more affected due to the water shortage; many of them spend their days waiting for water tankers. The affectees are residents of UCs 61, 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72.
THE NON-FUNCTIONING TUBE-WELL:
WASA Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Mian Arshad, while talking to this scribe, said that the shortage of water has existed in the area for at least two decades. He said that the main reason for the shortage of water is lack of a tube well. He said that the demand of water has grown with the increase in population over the years.
A tube-well was installed a couple of years ago on Lawrence Road which has remained non-functional for over a year as it is not connected to an electricity line, he said.
PM Nawaz Sharif has been getting elected from this area since the first time he became member of Punjab Assembly in 1985 in non-party elections during the military regime of General Ziaul Haq. After winning the election, he was appointed chief minister of Punjab.
Residents, while talking to Pakistan Today, said that the area is considered the home constituency of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) since the time Mian Nawaz Sharif entered politics back in the 1980’s but that the water infrastructure in the area is severely outdated.
WE’RE THE PROPONENTS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE… BAZINGA!
An elderly man told Pakistan Today that he had been residing in the area since partition but did not remember when the water pipelines were installed the last time. He said that he has been facing the problem of water shortage in his area of Goal Building every summer for the last decade.
Water And Sanitation Agency, Lahore has managed to provide water tankers in areas facing acute water shortage. The water is labeled as “drinking water” on the tanker but residents avoid using it for drinking, fearing it may be contaminated. They use it for washing purposes while they buy water for drinking.
Osama, a 17-year old boy, who was standing in the queue with gallon in his hand, said that he had been waiting for hours in the scorching heat for the water tanker to arrive despite it being a Sunday.
“On other days, I start waiting for the water tanker after coming from school,” he said, adding that he had to leave for school without taking a bath.
The areas of the worst hit by the water shortage include areas near Mall Road: Naqi Ahata, Goal Building, Chandi Ahata, Lawrence Road, Ahata Mital Sagar and others.
Naveed Anwer, a councilor in the area from ward No 6 told this scribe that three months have been passed but his area is without water but that WASA didn’t make any effort to resolve the issue.
“We are at the mercy of WASA [Water and Sanitation Agency]; when it wants, we receive water but at other times we’re left to fend for ourselves,” Anwar said, and added, “The residents of my area require at least three water tankers per day but WASA provides us just one. Sometimes we remain without water throughout the day.”
Naveed said that he approached the authorities and informed them regarding the woes of the people of his area but the problem is worsening with each passing day.
“I went to the PM Secretariat with a complaint where PM’s personal secretary Chaudhary Qamar heard the matter and directed the WASA managing director (MD) to resolve the issue on priority basis but so far nothing has happened,” he said.
Naveed further said authorities are fully aware that the shortage of water has persisted in the area for the last many years. He demanded the authorities to spare some amount from the funds of the constituency to resolve the water issue because otherwise it will be very hard for him to maintain the goodwill of the party in the area.
WASA Sub Divisional Officer Mian Arshad, while talking to Pakistan Today, assured that WASA has finalised a way to fix the problem and that it will be resolved by Monday (today).
Right now it is only drinking water. We have seen what happened to Power crisses during last years in Punjab. Pointing finger at others is easy.
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