CDA’s apathy closes water treatment plants in Bahawalpur

Wells to pump water have dried up while pipelines are damaged

BAHAWALPUR: Water treatment plants — installed at a cost of millions of rupees to supply clean water to the residents of Cholistan and adjoining areas — have closed down or have stopped functioning. Locals have blamed this development on the negligence of the Cholistan Development Authority (CDA).

The residents of these areas are compelled to drink contaminated water and are falling prey to different diseases, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The government had installed water treatment plants at Toba Tofana, Toba Bijnot, Toba Tanoo Majnoo, Toba Maharanwala, and Toba Bahoo with huge funds. For this purpose, wells were dug up and two engines were also installed to suck the water and feed it to the treatment plants.

However, due to the lack of interest of Cholistan Development Authority officials, the water treatment plants have stopped functioning, while some of the mechanical parts have been stolen. Besides this, the wells that were dug up to pump water have also dried up, while the water supply pipelines have also been damaged.

The current situation has forced people to migrate to other areas due to the scarcity of water.

When contacted, Cholistan Development Authority XEN Muhammad Aashiq Langah, said, “These treatment plants were installed to facilitate the people, but the cost of filtering was too high. A drum of diesel was used to get one drum of clean water. This is the reason the Cholistan Development Authority abandoned the project.”

Aashiq Langah admitted that parts of most of the treatment plants have been stolen. “Now, only one engine is in working condition instead of two,” he complained.

Meanwhile, locals demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan take notice of the situation and order an investigation into alleged corruption within the Cholistan Development Authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2018.