Kabul residents concerned over lack of safe drinking water in city

Kabul [Afghanistan], July 13 : Kabul residents are concerned about the lack of safe drinking water in the city, Tolo News reported.

Tolo News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul.

The residents say they do not have access to city water supply services and the price of drinking water from private companies has also increased.

A Kabul resident, Sher Mohammad, said, “People's problems are many. If you ring the bell, three days or four days later it will be your turn to get water. Water also comes at a high price.”

Another resident Shah Wali said, “We live here, and nobody pays attention to us, and to our challenges, we call on the government to pay attention.”

As per some residents, they have paid money to private companies to receive water. They, however, still don't have water and the companies are demanding more money from them, according to Tolo News.

A PD13 resident, Liyaqt Ali, said, “It has been one and half months since we have drinking water and the companies said to come and renew our contracts, if not, your water will be cut off.”

“The companies told us to renew our contracts and give us money, but officials said to not pay money,’ said Faqer Hussun, a resident of PD13.

The General Directorate of the State Water Supply Company said they are currently distributing state water to more than 250,000 customers in 23 provinces.

“In total, we have 250,000 customers, if we consider ten people in each family, more than two and a half million people are covered by the government water supply system,” said Sardar Wai Malik Zada, as per TOLO News.

He said they have tried to get the exact number of private companies from the Taliban's Ministry of Energy and Water, but they declined to provide the information.

The public water supply company says it has more than 250,000 recipients in twenty-three provinces of the country including the capital.