LAKKI MARWAT: A prolonged power breakdown has caused acute water shortage in Zangikhel and Mela Mandrakhel villages, adding to people`s misery.

Elders of both the villages told journalists in Lakki city on Tuesday heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Sunday knocked down electricity poles causing power suspension to the rural localities.

`But the Pesco failed start repair worl< immediately afterwards to restore the electricity supply, Habibur Rehman said. He said the rains with strong winds damaged power pylons in the area between Kakakhel and Mandrakhel.

The elders said tube-wells could not run and underground water tanks dried up. They said people were forced to purchase water in the holy month of Ramazan, and that some house-holds had to fetch water on donkey carts from distant areas.

The elders warned of launching agitation if power supply wasn`t restored immediately.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that local Pesco employees with help of area people had started repairing the damaged polls to restore electricity supply to the affected villages.

PROJECTS APPROVED: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has approved a development package for the district under which roads will be built and tube-wells sunk in rural localities, claims PTI MNA Col (r) Ameerullah Khan Marwat.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday on phone, he said he had brought the demands and problems faced by Marwat people into the notice of the chief minister with a request to pay special heed to their solution.

The lawmaker said four roads would be constructed in the rural localities to connect them withthe urban centres.

Mr Ameerullah said under the uplift package 12 new water sup-ply schemes would be initiated in remote villages to overcome water shortage there. He saidlocal lawmakers didn`t pay attention to the water woes of people in the past decades.