RAWALPINDI – The newly inaugurated water tank situated at hillock at Dhama Mor on Adyala Road has been leaking for the last three months, badly damaging the recently carpeted Adiala Road.
With hefty cost of Rs 13.82 million, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the leader of the opposition in National Assembly and also MNA from the constituency, inaugurated the long awaited Adiala Road Water Supply Scheme to cater the need of clean drinking water in the locality.
More than 2,200 water connections have been also provided to the residents from the huge size tank. Nonetheless, the area residents still facing acute water shortage and buying the water tanks even at high rates, reason of which was nothing than the wastage of clean drinking water daily from the tank.
Public Health and Engineering Department, Rawalpindi, which was assigned the task by the government to look after the water tank and distribute the water to the areas of Munawar Colony, Hill View, Kehkashan Colony, Jarahi, Ali Town, Dhama Seydan, Mumtaz Market, Dhoke Lal Shah, Kohsar Colony, Khattana and so many other areas, is doing nothing to stop the wastage of water that was in thousands of gallons daily.
But unfortunately, the water tank is in very bad condition as cracks appeared in its bottom whereas the joints of its pipe lines have been broken, as a result thousands of gallons of water is wasting and submerging the streets, houses and business centres and Adiala Road, that was carpeted by RDA to the tune of 82 million three months ago.
This scribe on the complaints of some area residents visited the site on Saturday. It was observed that whole Adiala Road from Chungi Number 20 to Zaiqa Food was presenting the scene of a pool.
The speedy cars were splashing the water on the shoppers and road users arrived there for Eid shopping. Similarly, the water was also entering into the shops and business centres located along with Adiala Road, inflicting heavy loss to the daily use items.
The traders and common man protested the criminal negligence of PHED saying several complaints were lodged to solve the problem but in vain.
Shabbir Khan, a cloth shop owner, said that water leaking from the tank inundated outside his shop, no customer bothered to come here for shopping and his business is going in loss.
He demanded of the authorities concerned to repair the water tank.
Ahmed Khan, a school owner that located very near the tank, complaint that water swept away the floor of his school and also damaging the basis of the building. He added that for last three months, tens of thousands gallons of water got wasted because of leaked pipelines and cracks that had appeared under ground in the tank.
A PML-N stalwart Chaudhry Ilyas, who played an active role in initiating the water supply scheme, when contacted leashed out the PHED for its sheer negligence. He said that thrice he himself lodged complaint with PHED but no body came here to repair the tank.
PHED Sub Engineer Ghulam Muhammad, when phoned for his comments, was not ready to believe that the water has been leaking in large quantity that too for the last three months.
When told the area residents and traders lodged complaints that they were in trouble for last three months, Ghulam Muhammad lost his control and shouted: “Do not put your ears on bull shits of residents and traders. Listen what I am telling you. No water leaking has ever reported by anyone”.
The SE asked the scribe in a rough tune: “Had you seen with your own eyes the water pool on Adiala Road today.” The next moment he changed his tune when he was told that water submerged the road and low-lying localities.
Instead of replying more queries, PHED SE Ghulam Muhammad banged his phone saying “Now I am in my village Jhang and will monitor the situation tomorrow (Sunday) when I will be back.”
Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, as usual, was not available for his point of view on the issue that has doubled the miseries of the area residents and traders.