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The Satpara Dam in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan, the sole source of water supply in Skardu, is now struggling to meet the city's needs due to climate change and neglect of the local administration, POGB local media reported.
In the first few months of this year, the dam's water level was rising, but now it has been declining pushing Skardu towards a severe water crisis in summer, when the water consumption will increase even further. This will make the life of the locals difficult as water released from the dam in Skadu City is used for several purposes including household consumption, electricity generation and human consumption. For years now, the mutually understandable solution given by the locals for replenishing the water supply of the city was to divert the flow of Shatung Nallah and other seasonal water channels towards the same dam. The government had initially agreed to divert Shatung Nallah towards the dam however for several years no development regarding this concern has been noticed, the Skardu TV report claimed. The report also claimed that in the upcoming years, the water crisis in the city is imminent hence, the projects related to the diversion of these water channels must be sped up. The locals and welfare societies which had initially contributed money for the diversion project, are raising their voices for the continuation of the same. If compared to the past 10 years no significant developments have been noticed in the improvement of water supply or electricity generation. As the condition grows worse for PoGB an area which is otherwise rich in water resources. While commenting upon the ignorant attitude of the local administration the Skardu TV report mentioned that, despite the locals raising their demands for infrastructural development projects in PoGB, the local leaders who had gained power with local votes have not done anything significant. The same issues still prevail, when only one year remains when PoGB will conduct the upcoming elections. And the locals have been repeatedly raising their voices for the solution to the electricity problem and the problem of poor roads. Notably, this discontent among the people of PoGB has been continuing for over a decade and ignorance in these cases will result in disastrous results later. (ANI)
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