Holding On The Lifeline Together!

Asem Mustafa Awan

Rawalpindi: A daily search for drinking water in one of Rawalpindi’s established residential areas has exposed a wider crisis in the delivery of basic municipal services, with residents increasingly turning to private sources to meet essential needs.

In Lalazar, a locality traditionally regarded as one of the city’s better-developed neighbourhoods, residents say unreliable water supply has made even routine household tasks difficult. A recent scene of two young girls carrying a water container together illustrates the extent to which families have adapted to the shortage.

Residents have resorted to water tankers and local three-wheeler water carriers to obtain water for drinking and cooking. Some households have also installed private borewells after losing confidence in the regular supply.

The problem is not limited to water. Residents complain of weak gas pressure and prolonged electricity outages despite receiving regular utility bills.

The locality is situated near St Mary’s Lalazar, an institution with more than a century of history. Residents say the area once had comparatively reliable basic services, but rapid and poorly planned expansion of housing schemes has placed additional pressure on existing infrastructure.

Critics argue that the growth of residential areas without corresponding improvements in water, electricity and gas networks has contributed to the deterioration of services.

Water billing has also become a source of frustration. Residents claim that bills continue to arrive for some connections that have reportedly been inactive for years, raising questions about the accuracy and effectiveness of the billing and service systems.

Concerns over alleged meter tampering and other irregularities have further added to public distrust in utility services.

The water shortage has particular implications for public health. Access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge across Pakistan, with large sections of the population depending on unreliable or potentially contaminated sources.

For residents of Lalazar, the issue is therefore not simply about inconvenience. The daily struggle to secure water highlights a broader question about whether expanding government departments and utility networks are keeping pace with the basic needs of growing urban populations.

What was once considered a well-serviced residential locality now reflects a familiar urban dilemma: expanding communities, ageing infrastructure and essential services that increasingly fail to meet demand.