Despite an investment of Rs 20.3 million and the passage of over two years, four water filtration plants installed in Bajaur’s tribal district remain non-operational, leaving local residents with no choice but to consume contaminated water or travel long distances to fetch clean drinking water.
The filtration plants were set up in Khar Bazaar’s headquarters, Scouts Market, Inayat Kallay Bazaar, and Barkhalozo Mor Bazaar in Mamond tehsil.
Construction began in March 2022, with expectations for the units to become operational within a few months. However, all four plants are still idle and in deteriorating condition.
Funded by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and installed under the supervision of the Local Government Department, the project has stalled due to the non-release of required operational funds. Local Government Department official Ejaz Khan said the department has written several times over the past two to three years to provincial authorities, including the department secretary, requesting funds to complete and run the plants—but no action has been taken.
In Inayat Kallay, the lone filtration plant—built at a cost of Rs 2.1 million—remains incomplete and unused. The traders’ union general secretary expressed frustration, noting that repeated complaints to authorities have yielded no results. He added that the idle plant is now at risk of theft and vandalism.
The situation is similar in Barkhalozo, where access to clean drinking water is scarce. Those who can afford it bring water by vehicle from distant sources, while others are forced to consume polluted water from taps. Several people in the area have reportedly contracted Hepatitis A and E due to unsafe drinking water. Most shopkeepers in the area cannot afford medical treatment.
In Khar Bazaar’s Scouts Market, a local doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the drinking water in the area is no longer safe. “The taste and color of the water have changed. It appears yellow when stored in containers,” he said. Two filtration plants exist in the area, but both remain inactive.
According to Ejaz Khan, the department only had funds for plant installation—not for operationalization or maintenance. No budget was allocated for the final stages needed to make the plants functional.
Social and political activist Malik Zia-ul-Islam criticized the provincial government for approving and installing the plants but then withdrawing support without providing operational funds. He said contractors still await payment and no local institution is in a position to take over the plants or make them functional through community efforts.
While the Local Government Department insists that the plants would provide clean drinking water to entire marketplaces once operational, it remains unclear when or if they will ever be activated—and who will be responsible for running and maintaining them.
.jpeg)
