ISLAMABAD: Residents of H-13, one of Islamabad’s rapidly growing sectors, are facing a worsening water crisis as the water level goes down due to scorching summer and the increasing population of the area.
The residents of the area are worried about this issue, and they have no choice but to buy water tankers at expensive prices. The low-income families and students who say they are being forced to buy water from expensive private tankers or make do with dangerously limited quantities.
“I haven’t seen water from the bore in four days as most of the tube wells are dry in the area due fall of water level,” says Khair Mohammad, a 52-year-old businessman, who has lived in H-13 for over five years. “We’re depending on water tankers now, and even those aren’t always reliable—or affordable.”
He said the situation has become financially draining. “I spend nearly Rs. 2,000 every few days on water tankers. That’s a big burden on my pension,” he says. “It’s either food or water now. We can’t afford both.”
Sajid, another resident from Mardan who rents a small room in a shared house, says the crisis is disrupting his daily life. “We don’t have enough water even to bathe or cook properly,” he told this reporter. “Sometimes, five of us share two buckets a day. It’s humiliating.”
H-13 has seen a sharp increase in population over the past few years due to its proximity to educational institutions and lower housing costs. However, the infrastructure has not kept up.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has offered vague explanations about “pipeline issues. The people are bringing drinking water from nearby markets or tube wells, which are situated in far-off areas, through motorbikes.
“There are hostels, families, and elderly people living here. How can a sector of the capital be left without water?” asks Samreen Fatima, a resident and university lecturer. “We’re citizens, not outsiders. Why is no one listening?”
With summer temperatures climbing and no intervention in sight, the people of H-13 are appealing to city officials and federal authorities for immediate action and long-term infrastructure planning for digging more tube wells in the area.
The water level has fallen significantly to a dead level, and people are no longer in a financial position to dig a 700-feet deep water bore. This issue needs urgent CDA attention, and deep tube wells are needed to provide a smooth supply of water to the residents of the area.
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