(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) January 19, 2023facebook twitter whatsapp linkedin email
Asif Mohmand
Paroa tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan is facing water shortage after last August devastating floods across the district.
Locals told TNN that the floods played havoc with sources of drinking water and now they have to walk several kilometers to fetch water. Nazir Ahmed, 50, a local told TNN that he travels three kilometers from house to fetch drinking water. He said that the area pipeline has been broken down.“No one is resolving pipeline issue,” he said. He added that they neither a nazim, MPA or MNA therefore, they were facing huge issues of drinking water.
Locals also point out that about six months after the August floods, drinking water supply schemes of the tehsil have not been restored so far.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and UN figures show that floods destroyed 75,000 houses in the Dera Ismail Khan.
Abdul Basit, a resident of Machi village of Paroa tehsil said that now they were forced to purchase drinking water after the floods.“Drinking water issue has become very serious after floods,” he said. He Abdul said that locals purchased water cans from rickshaw walls after paying Rs 30 per drum. However, he said that they were facing issue in procuring water for drinking of animals.“Floods have destroyed tube wells, pipe lines and other drinking water system in the tehsil,” he said. He also demanded the authorities to restore the water supply schemes of the tehsil.
Floods have destroyed 132 drinking water and 97 irrigation channels in DeraMuhammad Faheem, PDMA reporting officer for the district told TNN that 132 drinking water and 97 irrigation schemes have been washed away in the district due to floods. He said authorities have allocated Rs 50 million to restore these schemes.
Similarly, 36 out of 56 water supply schemes of Paroa tehsil were also washed away due to floods.
Zeeshan Gandapur, executive engineer public health engineering department told TNN that they were striving to restore flood affected water supply schemes of the district. He said that 30 out of 56 water supply schemes of Paroa tehsil were damaged due to floods. However, he said provincial government has allocated funds for restoration of six of these damaged schemes of the tehsil.“We are waiting for the authorities to release these funds,” he said. Regarding 26 other schemes, he said that they needed funds for their restoration.
“We are also requesting donors help to restore these water supply schemes,” he said.
Malik Farooq, a local politician said that clean drinking water was one of the basic human needs.“Paroa tehsil was facing acute drinking water shortage currently,” he said. Besides, he said that damages to the Chashma Right Bank Canal's was also causing massive troubles to them.“Drinking water was being sold in the entire tehsil in private tankers and other vehicles,” he said.
Paroa tehsil, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan floods 2022, natural disaster, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, drinking water shortage, Chashma Right Bank Canal, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, PDMA, irrigation, Public Health Engineering department
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