Wasa launches crackdown on illegal water boring

Rawalpindi: Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has launched a crackdown against those involved in water boring without getting no-objection certificate (NOC) and five of them have been served challan notices during raids by the teams constituted on the directives of the provincial government.

Wasa's Deputy Director Revenue Chaudhry Safdar and Assistant Director Revenue Shamsur Rehman are heading two separate teams and they have conducted raids in various areas to find out illegal water boring by the residents.

It is pertinent to mention here that water boring or water drilling cannot be carried out without obtaining NOC from Wasa as the underground water belongs to the state and consumers also must pay aquifer charges to use it.

Wasa always keeps vigil over issuance of NOC as ground water is always moving by the force of gravity from recharge areas to discharge areas. Ground-water movement in most areas is slow-a few feet per year. But, in more permeable zones, movement can be as much as several feet per day.

Wasa Managing Director Shaukat Mehmood said they have received reports about illegal water boring in various areas that is why a crackdown has been launched to curb this illegal practice.