CHITRAL: Supply of drinking water of Public Health engineering Department suspended from Sunday due to blasting in mountain near neardeath goal. As contractor of National Highway Authority blasting in mountain for expanding of road as a result the whole Hill collapse which damaged pipeline of PHE which is the only source of water supply from Golain fountain to Chitral town. Some 50000 people of Chitral town suffering from shortage of potable drinking water. PHE department arranged alternate source of water supply from Angarghoan Shahshah of Water and Sanitation Unit. In connection this scribe also contacted office of Executive Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department regarding restoration of water supply. PHE spokesman said that there is million of Tons debris and boulders on our pipe until and unless the contractor not dispose off that we can not repair our pipe. As well as the cracked mountain above this pipe is very dangerous and in case of repair work under that cracked mountain it can fell down over our staff which can cause of any casualty.
Prominent social and political personality Chairman Faizur Rehman of Booni told that he himself was a contractor and we cutting mountain with jack hammer or excavator that is the safe way but due to blasting beneath the mountain after digging 35 feet long small tunnel it causing of cracking the whole mountain which can fell over the passengers any time because this is a busy road. He said that there was a best quality blacktopped road which was evacuated and damaged by contractor two years ago now we travelling on an earthen road having big ditches in its middle. He said that due to using heavy explosive of large quantity the mountain fell down and it damage pipe of drinking water as a result thousands of people deprive from drinking water. He demanded from the Chief of Army staff to intervene in this issue and call chairman of NHA at his office to bound him for protection of lives and protery of people by contractor who working of very substandard quality and now this road is more vulnerable and dangerous one for people of Upper Chitral who travelling on it.
Social and political circle of Chitral demanded from higher authoritis including judiciary to bound the contact for cutting the mountain with jack hammer or use other safe way instead of blasting in mountain which causing cracking the whole mountain and most dangerous for passerby. They also demanded from the authorities to bound the contact for using standard quality material because at present all work of collapsing mountain, retaining and protection wall, culverts and drainage pipe are totally of substandard quality and it will be damaged within one year and people of this backward area will be once again faced numerous problems. They also demanded for restoration of drinking water on emergency basis.
By Gul Hamaad Farooqi.
