Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The scam of installation of thousands of illegal water connections in the rural and urban areas of the federal capital has come to light amid reports that most of the connections have been given in katchi abadis and newly developed sectors.

The federal government and its suburbs are facing an acute water shortage since the last several years while the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is playing a quizzical role that it gives good news to the citizens about overcoming water paucity on one day and then keeps mum over this issue for weeks.

During the last several years the PPP and PML-N governments succeeded in adding to their vote bank on the water issue in the federal capital. During the local bodies polls, the PML-N emerged as a majority party by exploiting the water issue and making pledges with the voters for addressing this issue on top priority basis.

The federal government appointed the chairman of the CDA a political figure and elected representative of people to weed out corruption from this civic body besides resolving the problems of the people. The citizens were relieved but the chairman CDA Shiekh Ansar has failed to deliver during two years. He set up committees on the water issue but these failed miserably because the influential officials of the Capital Development Authority were involved in forgery and played a vital role in the victory of the chairmen of union councils. These people are behind the theft of water, electricity and gas. Sources told Daily Times that the CDA officials had given dozens of water connection to the residents of katchi abadis and the cost of every connection is recovered separately. Millions of rupees are collected from the owners of newly constructed houses in several sectors for allowing them illegal connections.

The CDA security sources told Daily Times that action cannot be taken against the lower grade employees and officers of the CDA involved in giving illegal connections as they are backed by political figures and senior officials of the security departments.

When contacted, the director of water supply directorate, Said Badshah, told Daily Times that 55 per cent connections had been installed illegally in Islamabad.

“We remove these connection on the basis of complaints but the mafia reconnects them. Most of the connections are installed in larger and spacious homes due to which 55 per cent water meant for the citizens of Islamabad is wasted.”