A moderate 5.3 magnitude earthquake jolted some parts of Peshawar, a private TV channel reported on Tuesday.

According to the meteorological department, the earthquake jolted parts of Peshawar, Swat, Dir and other areas of the province.

The epicenter of the earthquake was Hindukash mountains.

The people of the earthquake hit areas were frightened and came out of their houses.

No causalities were reported.

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), in its quarterly report, has revealed that arsenic was present in seven brands of bottled water, which could cause cancer (of lungs, bladder, skin, prostrate, kidney, nose and liver), diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, heart diseases, birth defects and black-foot disease.

Besides this, sodium was present in five brands of bottled water, potassium in one and bacteriological contamination in three brands of bottled water.

The government of Japan has decided to extend financial support of $96,660 (approximately Rs 8.3 million) to NGO RORWALI for the construction of Concrete Irrigation Channel in Village Thakhtabad, Peshawar, said a press release issued here on Monday.

The agreement for the project was signed between Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Hiroshi OE and RORWALI Chairman, Shabbir Ahmad Khan here at the ambassador's residence.

The project is expected to benefit about 1,300 households (approximately 13,000 individuals).

The Government of Japan has decided to extend financial support of US$ 96,660 (approx. Rs 8.3 million) to the NGO Rorwali for the construction of Concrete Irrigation Channel in Village Thakhtabad, suburb of Peshawar.

The agreement for the project was signed on Wednesday, between Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi OE, and Shabir Ahmad Khan, Chairman Rorwali, at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Islamabad.

The purpose of the project is to achieve constant and timely provision of irrigation water in the area by cementing existing unpaved and muddy irrigation channel.

A moderate 4.9 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar and Swat, on Monday. Earlier, a moderate 5.0 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Balochistan and Sindh, with no reports of damage or casualties. The epicentre of the quake was 70 kilometres southeast of Sibbi, in southern Balochistan, and 72 kilometres north of Jacobabad in Sindh. Pakistan was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on October 8, 2005, that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Azad Kashmir and parts of northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. inp

General Secretary, TB Association, district Peshawar, Dr Saeedul Majeed has said the number of TB patients in Peshawar had increased during the last one year. He was addressing executive body meeting of the association on Thursday. He called for bringing improvement in the economic conditions of the people in the country to control this disease.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to set up an autonomous authority within a year for ensuring smooth provision of drinking water and sewerage and sanitation services in Peshawar.

According to a handout, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti gave approval for establishment of the authority during a meeting here on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti has approved in principle the establishment of an autonomous authority for clean drinking water, sewerage and sanitation in provincial capital, Peshawar. The chief minister has directed the concerned authorities for submission of joint proposals in consultation with all stakeholders for finalisation of all matters in this connection.

PESHAWAR (June 09 2010): Fruit orchards in district Peshawar have been hit by a mysterious disease leaving the plants dry, inflicting heavy financial losses on the farmers of the area.

City District Government Peshawar (CDGP) and Waste Management of Pakistan (WMP) a private company on Thursday signed an agreement for the collection and recycling of garbage from the four towns of Peshawar on scientific lines and convert it into useful materials of fertiliser and fuel.