Water, water everywhere…not a drop to drink
Locals told reporters that water had not been available in the area for the past four days.
FAISALABAD:
Faisalabad development authority (FDA) director general Dr Arshad Mehmood has directed the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to evolve a comprehensive strategy to ensure the provision of quality services in addition to redressing public complaints as a top priority.
Chairing a meeting at the Wasa Office, he said that monsoon season was almost over but the problems it had caused were just beginning. “The assistant directors operation should prepare a detailed report regarding the flaws in the local sewerage and drainage system,” he said, adding that it had become a trend to address these issues after the damage had been done rather than to pre-empt them.
Mehmood also directed Wasa officials to prepare a profile of the major drain networks in the district and said that proposals should be invited from the general public to help improve the overall sewerage and drainage system in the district. “The irony is that in spite of the floods and ample rain this year people still don’t have clean drinking water. There are open sewers and no clean water,” he said.
The DG also directed Wasa officials to ensure the presence of all Wasa staffers and said that directors and engineers of the agency should focus on a micromanagement strategy to handle their operations better.
Meanwhile, illegal water connections and valves connected in main pipelines in areas of Gojar Khan have led to water suspension in the district while residents have demanded that the authorities concerned take action against illegal water pipelines in the district.
Locals told reporters that water had not been available in the area for the past four days. “We haven’t had clean water for nearly five days and have to go out of the district to fill up buckets,” said a resident Saqib Khattak.
Locals are complaining that the district has not seen a steady supply of clean water for the past two months.
Residents in the area have said that water shortages in Ramazan are causing agitation and inconvenience.
They have demanded that senior officials take immediate action against illegal water connections in the district and disconnect all illegal water connections.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2010.
Faisalabad development authority (FDA) director general Dr Arshad Mehmood has directed the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to evolve a comprehensive strategy to ensure the provision of quality services in addition to redressing public complaints as a top priority.
Chairing a meeting at the Wasa Office, he said that monsoon season was almost over but the problems it had caused were just beginning. “The assistant directors operation should prepare a detailed report regarding the flaws in the local sewerage and drainage system,” he said, adding that it had become a trend to address these issues after the damage had been done rather than to pre-empt them.
Mehmood also directed Wasa officials to prepare a profile of the major drain networks in the district and said that proposals should be invited from the general public to help improve the overall sewerage and drainage system in the district. “The irony is that in spite of the floods and ample rain this year people still don’t have clean drinking water. There are open sewers and no clean water,” he said.
The DG also directed Wasa officials to ensure the presence of all Wasa staffers and said that directors and engineers of the agency should focus on a micromanagement strategy to handle their operations better.
Meanwhile, illegal water connections and valves connected in main pipelines in areas of Gojar Khan have led to water suspension in the district while residents have demanded that the authorities concerned take action against illegal water pipelines in the district.
Locals told reporters that water had not been available in the area for the past four days. “We haven’t had clean water for nearly five days and have to go out of the district to fill up buckets,” said a resident Saqib Khattak.
Locals are complaining that the district has not seen a steady supply of clean water for the past two months.
Residents in the area have said that water shortages in Ramazan are causing agitation and inconvenience.
They have demanded that senior officials take immediate action against illegal water connections in the district and disconnect all illegal water connections.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2010.