KHAR: A water supply scheme in a remote area of Bajaur Agency was made functional on Thursday after eight years of its completion.

The water supply scheme in Bai China was completed at a cost of Rs8 million. It was inaugurated in 2009 by public health engineering department but it remained non-functional.

A ceremony was held on the occasion that was attended by officials of public health engineering department, local residents and tribal elders.

Speaking on the occasion, officials of the public health engineering department said that they were not ready to make the water supply schemes functional as the machinery and necessary equipment were either destroyed or stolen. They said that electricity system at the water scheme was also damaged.

However, the officials said that it was made functional on the special directives and with financial support of Fata Secretariat.

The elders of the area said that making the water supply scheme functional was a longstanding demand of the local people as it was the only source of drinking water in the area.

They said Bai China was among the few areas of Bajaur Agency where shortage of drinl(ing water was a major problem for the local residents. They said that local women fetched water from distant areas on their heads.

The elders expressed the hope that local people would get clean drinking water at their doorstep following the water supply scheme was made functional.

However, the elders said that it would be more useful if the water supply scheme was converted to solar energy instead of electricity as it would enable local people to get water from it anytime they wanted.