MANSEHRA: The tehsil municipal administration, in collaboration with the public health engineering department, has initiated work on a water supply scheme to address a water shortage caused by the prolonged dry spell in the city and its suburbs. “We have launched a gravity water supply scheme to meet the needs of city residents, as the long-drawn-out rainless period has aggravated the already fragile water supply situation,” tehsil municipal officer Mazhar Muzafar Awan told reporters on Saturday. He said that four water schemes, including the major Ichar Nullah one, were operational, but the prolonged dry spell had significantly reduced their capacity to meet the city’s water requirements. “Ichar Nullah alone pumps over 200,000 gallons of water daily to cater to the city’s drinking water needs, but even then, it is not enough due to the severe water shortage,” he said. TMO says work on water scheme launched The TMO said that a large-scale gravity water supply project valuing over Rs20 billion was approved but small schemes were essential to address the acute shortage caused by the prolonged dry weather. “We have begun connecting the Khushala water supply scheme with a dried water source to cater to the needs of Mohallah Khan Bahadur, Mohallah Ayub and adjoining areas,” he said. Mr Awan said that Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Babar Saleem Swati, who was elected from the area, had approved the Rs110 million worth of Nerbir water scheme for the city and its suburbs. “The successful execution of this project will help address water shortage in our city and surrounding areas,” he said. The TMO also pointed out that the water table in the city and its suburbs had significantly dropped in recent years, further worsening the water supply problem for households. ROAD BLACKTOPPING DEMANDED: Residents of Oghi on Saturday urged authorities to blacktop the dilapidated Degree College-Manchora Dam Road to the relief of motorists and commuters. “This key road, which connects a vast area with Oghi, is in a bad shape, inconveniencing its users,” Waqar Ahmad told reporters in Oghi. Accompanied by a group of locals, he said the issue was taken up with local lawmakers and officials, but to no avail. Mr Ahmad said the students and residents, who frequently used the road, were the most affected. He said the drivers of public transport vehicles were reluctant to use the route, placing an additional financial burden on commuters. The residents demanded the immediate repair and blacktopping of the road to ease the misery of its users.