Residents of Union Council 31 staged a protest against the supply of dirty water through WASA lines, demanding the immediate suspension of the MD WASA. Protesters raised slogans including “We reject the rules of injustice” and “We reject the supply of dirty water”, calling for accountability and a swift end to contaminated supplies.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan, chairman of the Citizen Action Committee, said WASA continued to collect bills despite suspending water for a week. He added that only after residents complained and the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell intervened did officials reluctantly replace the tube well motor and restore service, but for the past three days dirty water has flowed through the supply lines.
Households reported muddy, foul-smelling water and many were forced to spend around Rs. 20,000 to clean home water tanks. Residents said repeated complaints to WASA drew no effective response and left families paying for temporary remedies while the dirty water problem persisted.
Following the demonstration, residents accompanied by Councillor Haji Naseer Bhatti and Zaheer Awan visited the WASA office at 12 noon to register their grievance, only to find the MD WASA and other officials absent. Protesters questioned where they should seek redress when responsible officers are not on duty to address complaints.
Speakers at the protest, including Haji Naseer Bhatti, Waheed Rajab Khan, and Abdul Rehman Mama Munna, urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to take immediate action to stop the supply of contaminated water and to suspend the allegedly incompetent MD WASA until the matter is resolved. Residents said they will continue to press for a permanent solution to ensure clean water reaches UC 31.
