Pindiites rely on private water tankers

Rawalpindi : Private water tankers in Rawalpindi fill the gap between demand and supply of water as residents face issues with Wasa Water.

“Rehan Ali, a resident of Faisal Town, has a piped water connection from the Wasa and a bore well connection at his house. However, he has been unable to use both of these sources of water. This is because the groundwater levels are too low to draw water from the bore well and the piped water is mixed with sewage. Mohan has had to buy water from private water tankers in Chennai, regularly spending at least Rs 3,000 a month, to meet his family’s needs,” says Osaf Ali. “I am one of the many residents In Gulzar-e-Quaid reliant on the services of private water tankers. Water security for those reliant on these tankers often comes into question when private tankers raise the rate of water tanker,” says Murtajis Abbas.

“Often when private water tanker suppliers announce a high rate, there is a misconception that residents in Fazal Town are the only ones affected. However, many parts of the city that suffer due to irregular supply, old infrastructure, and contaminated water, are increasingly reliant on private tankers for water,” says Zulfiqar Ali. “Many residents of the city do not have piped water supply from Wasa despite decades of living in the area. They also do not have access to alternative sources of water like in other areas that have groundwater owing to the topography of the area,” says Azadar Hussain from Kehkashan Colony,

“Residents of various areas say that the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has failed to arrange an alternative to cope with the water shortage. With no groundwater source and piped water supply private water tankers are their lifeline,” says Konain Ali from Munawar Colony. “We have been paying the increased water bills, but the government has not taken any steps to provide water. I think we will remain dependent on the private tankers,” says Naseer Hussain from Mohalla Raja Sultan. “On average a family spends a minimum of Rs 3,000 on water per month. Wasa officials informed me that they do not have sufficient water to supply for all the areas and are trying to set up more tubewells,” says Shabeeh Hasan from Dhoke Hassu “Several households in our locality have piped water connections but the supply has been irregular.