Shortage of potable water: Residents block KKH in Upper Kohistan

MANSEHRA: The people of Upper Kohistan on Saturday blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to traffic for many hours against shortage of the potable water in Kamila town and its suburbs.

“The only gravity water flow scheme was washed away by recent flash floods, which couldn’t be rebuilt as yet. And there is a scarcity of water,” Maulana Waliullah Tauhidi told the protesters at the main bazaar of Kamila.

The protesters raised slogans in support of their demands and against the officials of the Public Health Department and district administration.

The commuters travelling intra-district and between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan remained stranded for many hours owing to closure of the KKH.

Maulana Waliullah said that three months had passed since the devastating

flood hit the area but the Public Health Department couldn’t restore the water supply as yet.

Maulana Waliullah said that locals were also facing prolonged power outages and were still without basic amenities.

“The district administration, police and even management of the hydropower projects being executed in the district have still been appointing people from

other districts which are unacceptable to us at any cost,” he said.

Maulana Waliullah warned that they would block the Karakoram Highway to traffic for an indefinite period if the Public Health Department didn’t restore the water supply to Kamila city and its suburbs.