Water crisis at Adiala Road worsens

Rawalpindi : The water crisis in localities in and around Adiala Road is worsening day by day and now the situation at Adiala Jail has also deteriorated, compelling the jail authorities to write to Commissioner Rawalpindi Division demanding a supply of water to the inmates through other means.

The residents of Adiala Road are making appeals to the administration through loudspeakers in mosques for taking prompt action and restoring the water supply in the area.

However, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director Muhammad Tanvir told ‘The News’ that they were not operating tubewells for the supply of water due to low electricity voltage in the area. He put the blame on Islamabad Electric Supply Company for the disruption of the water supply on Adiala Road.

Wasa officials said that they have installed nine tube wells at Gorakhpur. “All nine tubewells are functioning. Wasa is establishing two underground tanks and two OHR tanks here at Shahpur. Underground tanks will have the capacity of 500,000 gallons of drinking water per day while the height of OHR tanks will be around 70 feet,” the official said.

The tanker mafia has also stopped supply as the water level has dropped to an alarming proportion in the area. They are booking tankers in ‘black’ at Rs5,000 and bringing water from some other areas, but a majority of families can’t afford it.