PESHAWAR, April 25: A shortage of drinking water in Karak district worsened with the disruption of power supply to tube-wells of the Water and Sanitation Department continued for the fifth day on Monday. Elders of the district held a meeting in a local mosque to discuss the water problem. They threatened to observe strike and organize a protest demonstration against the government if power supply to the tube-wells was not restored by Monday night.

The people are facing extreme hardships in getting drinking water. Most of the private tube-wells and open wells in the area have either gone saline or dried up due to receding water table. The area resident have to fetch water from far off villages to meet their daily requirements.

The situation has badly hit women and children, especially girls, who, by tradition, are mainly responsible for bringing water for their homes. They run from pillar to post to find water.

Water tankers owners have also considerably increased their rates in all the three tehsils of the district yet no there seems no solution to the problem.

Electric supply to government tube wells was disconnected last week after a row erupted between the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and the district’s Water and Sanitation Department over power dues.

The department says that it had made overpayment to the Pesco prior to July 2004 and that it had reconciled the Pesco bills up to March 2005, but the latter refutes the claim and alleges that the department had defaulted on huge power dues.