WASA decides to raise water tariff in Rawalpindi

Author: By Iqbal Malik

RAWALPINDI: WASA Rawalpindi has decided to raise the water tariff besides launching a survey of ghost water connections in Rawalpindi city. This is in order to meet the Rs 1 billion annual deficit.

The summary has been sent to the provincial government for increasing water charges wherein it is recommended to enhance water tariff by 15 per cent. A new survey of domestic and commercial consumers in the city to collect their original statistics has been started. A private company from Lahore Seedco has been assigned the responsibility of carrying out the survey which will make a picture of residential and commercial buildings.

It will also give a questionnaire containing 10 to 15 questions to the consumers.

WASA sources said that its consumers stood at 125000 according to statistics collected five years before. But the consumers’ number has surpassed 250000 due to non conducting of the survey for the last several years.

These consumers are getting water from WASA sources one way or the other. But WASA on the other hand has decided to raise the water tariff instead of collecting correct statistics of the consumers and bringing them to the recovery net.

WASA Deputy Director Umar Farooq told the Daily Times that that one reason behind the 800 million rupees annual loss of WASA was non enhancement in water tariff since 2008.

WASA is receiving Rs 98 per month from five marla homes, Rs 120 per month from seven marla homes and Rs 150 from 10 marla homes.

The water bill ranges between Rs 800 to Rs 900 per month from homes of four kanals. This tariff is insufficient to meet the financial requirements of WASA.

In the summary it is recommended that WASA tariff be increased from 10 to 15 per cent besides increase of Rs five to seven per consumer. .If this is not done then the financial deficit of WASA will soar to Rs 900 million next year.

He said that WASA consumers were numbering 125000 while statistics of WASA consumers had not been collected for the last five years. Now a new survey has been launched under a pilot project. The project has been assigned to Seedco company.