Endless delay: In the heat of summer, not a drop to drink

Residents demand completion of Murree water project.

RAWALPINDI:

With summer at its peak, the number of tourists who throng to Murree, multiplies, sparking a water shortage in the hill station. Residents have threatened to block Murree Road if the government fails to revive the Murree Bulk Water Supply project.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, they urged the provincial government to release funds for the project to fulfill the requirements of residents and tourists in Murree. With the influx of tourists in summer, demand for water increases and residents have no option but to fetch contaminated water from streams. They said that pipes and other material lying in the open had rusted due to delays and neglect and urged the government to complete the project at the earliest.

Residents say they consume water supplied from mountain springs which is too little to fulfil their needs. “Our daily requirement during winters is 0.6 million gallon, while we get 0.3 million gallon piped water a day,” said Ismail Abbasi, a resident of Murree.

The project was capped after spending Rs1,64 billion. Due to inflation and cost escalation, the project will now cost an additional Rs3 billion.

In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in August 2013, he had expressed displeasure over halting work on the project after spending so much money.

The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench had ordered the provincial government to launch work on the project last week but it is yet to be included in the Annual Development Programme.

A source in the Public Health Engineering department said Rs100 million from the project’s funds were spent on the electrification of a village in NA-50 in 2011, a constituency of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Millions have been spent on development projects in other areas of the hill station. “The water crisis has not been addressed for several decades. Murree’s population has tripled but there is no planning to facilitate them,” said Sardar Saleem Khan, former nazim of Murree tehsil.

“The government has no alternative but to complete this project whose cost has almost doubled.”

The government had purchased 12 generators worth millions for pumping water from Jhelum River but where they have gone no one knows, he added.

“Due to political interests, the PML-N government not only wasted public welfare funds but also deprived the people of potable water. They promised to complete this project, while campaigning for the elections.”

The government is still using delaying tactics. Punjab Minister for Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has been claiming that funds for the project would be released since August but so far no practical steps have been taken, said the official.

When an attempt was made to contact the minister for his version, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar’s assistant said the minister was busy in a meeting, but he never made good on his promise to call back later.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2014.