Wasa allowed to revise charges

LAHORE: Considering the prevailing financial crunch being faced by Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has allowed the agency to revise its rates for Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges.

In its fifth meeting, the Authority approved the revised rates for Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges to the tune of Rs100,000 per kanal of the saleable area. 

The revised approved rate shall be applicable to the new as well as those existing housing societies/schemes, which have not made any payment until now. Furthermore, the rates of Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges per kanal shall be revised biannually in line with the MRS, the Authority decided.

Wasa management placed a working paper for the revision of the Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges before the Authority in its 4th/2023 meeting held on August 03, 2023 held under the Chairmanship of CM Punjab.

In that meeting, the Authority however, had constituted a committee to review the proposal and furnish its recommendations. The committee comprised of Sh Muhammad Akbar (Member LDA Authority) as Convener, Wasa Managing Director (Member), a representative HUD & PHED department (Member) and a representative LDA UD Wing (Member).

In compliance of the Authority’s directions the meeting of the committee was held on 07-08-2023 and recommendations were firmed thereupon. Accordingly, the matter was again placed before the Authority in which it was stated that Wasa Lahore was providing sewerage, water supply and drainage service in Lahore in exercise to LDA Act 1975.

Wasa deals with LDA approved Private Housing Schemes (PHS) and Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS) and recovers Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges.

The prevailing rate of Rs87,400/- per kanal was calculated in 2011 on the project ‘Construction of Trunk Sewerage System, including Disposal Station in Mohlanwal Sewerage District’ on the basis of ‘Final Design Report of South Lahore’ prepared by MS NESPAK in 2009.

Based on this study, the Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges has been worked out as Rs276,500/- per kanal of saleable area of housing scheme. It was pertinent to mention that the proposed revised rate would be applicable to new housing schemes and those existing housing schemes, which have not made any payment so far.

The existing & proposed revised rates of Sewerage Trunk Infrastructure Charges per kanal of saleable area were Rs11,000/- per kanal in 2001, then it was revised to Rs87,000/- per kanal in 2011 and now Wasa demanded an increase in these charges up to Rs276,500/-per kanal.