Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The residents of the federal capital will have to pay Rs.5000 as fine amount over the wasting of water. The decision was taken at the session of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad while discussing the water scarcity issue in the city.

The 8th session of the MCI was held at the Pak China Friendship Centre here on Friday. The session was presided over by the Mayor of Islamabad, Sheikh Ansar Aziz and attended by Deputy Mayors, MCI Rifat Javed, Syed Zeshaan Naqvi and Azam Khan, Chief Officer MCI Asad Mehboob Kiyani, and all the members of the MCI.

A 10-point agenda including water issue, sanitation services and kiosks was presented during the meeting. The meeting discussed the sanitation services, kiosks and water issue at length but discussion on the remaining agenda items was postponed up to the next session of the MCI. The elected chairmen of different union councils highlighted the issue of water scarcity in their respective areas. The members of the MCI also pin pointed the wasting of water by residents.

Malik Rafiq, a UC chairman from Sector G-9 area said: “People are wasting water excessively in some areas while at the same time the people of other areas are waiting for same facility.”

Meanwhile, giving his input on the issue another UC Chairman from Sector G-7 Chaudhry Naeem Gujar said: “The water supply in my area is based on tube wells whereas six out of the total nine are out of order.” He raised his concern; “if we have been failed to get full water supply in the winter session then what would be the situation in summer?” he asked.

On this occasion, Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz said that due to the collective efforts of all the members of the MCI, consolidated steps had been taken to address the water shortage issue in the city.

He further added that due to lesser rains, not only the underground water level had been decreased but water in Simly and Khanpur reservoirs had also been affected, however, these issues would also be resolved with the collaboration of the residents. The mayor proposed to serve notices and imposition of fines over wasting water which was backed by the opposition leader, Ali Nawaz Awan. In result, the house unanimously approved that notices would be served and fine amounting to Rs.5000/- would be imposed on those wasting water.

While discussing the sanitation problems, the members belonging to the rural areas complained that there was no mechanism of sanitation in their areas. However, the members from the urban areas of the city complained that how the MCI would resolve the problems of the rural areas when it has failed to fully deliver in the urban areas — in terms of sanitation. Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz said that a “Solid Waste Management System” would be evolved in the city. Uptil then services of contractors had been hired to carry out sanitation services in the rural areas of the city. In this context, he added, codel formalities were being finalised and after the period of two (02) months cleanliness in the rural areas would be carried out on daily basis.

While briefing the session about the 485 approved kiosks in the city, the mayor said that the MCI would provide a specific design for these kiosks and would not allow any encroachment except the space allotted for the kiosk. He further said that the elected chairman should monitor sanitation, kiosks and parks in his respective union council as the powers had been delegated to the chairmen union councils. A UC Chairman, Chaudhry Manzoor, criticised the behaviour of Director, Municipal Administration Capitan (R) Shahbaz and demanded his repatriation to his parent department.