The people living in Fazal Town, Phase-I near Shelton Guest House and a little farther in Salahuddin Avenue Street no. I & II and Street no. III behind Butt Market understand the gravity of the water shortage better than most other localities of Pindi. The residents of this area depend on their neighbours’ pumps for water – the ones who are lucky enough to have some water
“Our area has very recently received pipelines of water, but we are not sure when the water will come. How can we store water for the next days as there is no underground water? Most of us depend on water tankers, but it's costing us a heavy sum,” says Nazakat Ali living in Salahuddin Avenue Street I.
“The local government should have made alternative arrangements. Of course, there are number of bore-wells in the city but they are of no use as far as we are concerned. Our area is deprived of it. How many houses can give water to neighbors and for how many days,” says Ulfat Hussain from Salahuddin Avenue Street No II.
“We have no choice but to depend on water tankers, and most of us are apprehensive about the quality of water,” adds Ulfat.
Mahtab Haider from Salahuddin Avenue Street no. III says: “Other areas such as Faisal Colony also suffer from water shortage. Water is supplied there once in three days, and at best for an hour. Fortunately, given the early warning, some residents call tankers and make arrangement for the week. Not everybody is lucky in that locality.”
Syed Hussain, a businessman of the same area, says: "Water suppliers are acting costly. Since there was no pressure in the past two days, we couldn't store any water. I was charged Rs750 for one tanker load."
“In some parts of the Faisal Colony, there's been no water supply since Monday and residents could not store water as there was no supply even on Tuesday,” complained Nazir Hussain.
“Thanks to God that our wedding days went well as there was a little bit of water supply during that period in our street,” says Meraj Hasan from Gulzar-e-Quaid. Will water be restored after the promised deadline of Wednesday? What the men at the tube-well in Shaheen Town are doing? That's the question the residents of the area are asking.
“We are demanding water supply without delay. We are paying regularly our water bills and collecting water from filtration plants installed 3 km away from our houses. Now, our patience has reached breaking point,” says Ali Akbar Abbas from Faisal Town.
The inhabitants of these localities have accused the authorities concerned of being unsympathetic to their problems and of paying no attention to their constant appeals. Around 150 people from that area have made their voice heard in front of the water supply authority. They have also submitted an application to the water authority and demanded water supply immediately, but the water authorities assert that they make an effort to attend to all complaints but it is not probable for them to supply water to all the complainants due to shortage of water as some wells have dried up because of absence of rain.
Mureed Hussain, a retired government official living in the area says: “Even those who have bored for water at a very heavy price in their houses are suffering as the water gets reduced very soon.”