Daily Times

The residents of Adyala Road urged the Water and Sanitation Agency to resolve the acute water shortage prevalent in the area which was pending for the past six months.

The water shortage issue was aggravating in several areas including UC Daman Syedan, Mumtaz Market, Ali Town, and Khayaban-e-Jinnah. The area residents said that several times in the past they had brought the issue of shortage of water before WASA department to address it on urgent basis. “There is severe water crisis in the areas adjacent to Adyala Road. Tanker mafia is active in the area. A water tanker is being sold for Rs 6,000 to 7,000 by the tanker mafia,” the residents said.

The WASA officials on the issue responded that water was available in tube wells on Adyala Road, whereas the connections provided by WAPDA were not able to run water pumping motors.

WAPDA has been given a new estimate by the WASA department and it was hoped that the issue would be resolved in two to three days, he said. The Kehkashan Water Scheme has been prepared on Adyala Road, whereas only WAPDA connections were awaited to operationalize in the the scheme.

He added that 20% of the water was still available in the supply system of the area, which was not sufficient to meet the demand. Dilapidated buildings pose serious threat: The authorities of Rawal Town administration, Cantt Board and City District Government have failed to get more than 300 dilapidated buildings vacated.

Scores of old buildings in Rawalpindi city and cantonment are in very poor condition and are posing life threat to the residents. These buildings exist in Sarafa Bazaar, Bhabra Bazaar, Banni Chowk, Jamia Masjid Road, Narankari Bazaar, Railway Road, Gawalmandi and other areas have become more dangerous in monsoon season. The social circles of Rawalpindi city and cantonment have appealed to higher authorities of the concerned department to take notice of the situation and take concrete steps to get the dilapidated buildings vacated or to demolish the buildings.

The people not only residing in these buildings but they are doing various kind of business and whole sellers have set up their godown in these buildings.

In the past, many sad incidents occurred in which Rs billion of loss and precious human lives were perished due to collapse of the buildings. As the concerned authorities are already issued notices to the owner of the buildings, but they did not comply the order till now.