Mansehra Residents Demand Action on Water Shortage

Residents of Mansehra city and nearby areas are facing water shortages and are demanding access to the newly-installed water supply line, as existing borewells and supply schemes have dried up.

Residents of Mansehra city and its surrounding areas have raised concerns about an ongoing water shortage, urging authorities to provide them with access to the newly-installed water supply line. The issue was highlighted on Monday when a group of citizens from various localities gathered to express their grievances.

People living in Mohallah Lower Channia, Nilan, Zafar Ground, and nearby areas are experiencing significant difficulties due to the scarcity of water. Mohammad Ayub, a resident, stated that several borewells have dried up as a result of the declining underground water table. He further mentioned that the tehsil municipal administration’s Both Khatta water supply scheme has also ceased to function because it has dried up.

"People of different localities are facing water shortage as borewells have dried up due to the declining underground water table. The tehsil municipal administration’s Both Khatta water supply scheme has also dried up," Mohammad Ayub told reporters while accompanied by other residents.

The group pointed out that although the tehsil municipal administration recently completed a new water supply scheme and provided connections to several areas of Upper Channia, Lower Channia and its adjoining localities have not yet been granted access to this facility. Residents are now demanding that connections from the newly-installed supply line be extended to their neighborhoods as well.

Mr Ayub also noted that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati is advocating for the execution of an Rs18 billion gravity water supply scheme, sources report that this project is expected to take years to complete. In the meantime, residents are urging authorities to address their immediate needs by expanding the reach of the current water supply infrastructure.

The affected communities have called on the relevant departments to take prompt action to alleviate the water shortage and ensure equitable distribution of the newly available water resources.