Water supply toover 280 service stations disconnected

LAHORE: In a major water conservation move, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has disconnected the water supply to over 280 service stations across the City while two-month time has been given to all such stations for installation of a mechanised water recycling systems to continue the business.

The move was one of the major water conservation steps the agency has taken in the provincial capital recently. Wasa Managing Director Zahid Aziz said that he was supervising the campaign and so far 280 water supply connections of service stations had been disconnected in the City. Disconnection notices to another 290 service stations have issued.

The agency has also made it mandatory for every service station to install a mechanised water recycling plant and two-month time has given been given to all service stations for installation of the plants. The Wasa MD said that any service station which didn’t comply with the instructions would be dealt with an iron hand and the agency would not allow it to work.

“Fresh underground water is a precious resource and we can’t allow anyone to misuse this resource,” he said, adding the agency was working on various projects to conserve water as well as to replace underground water with surface water and a water filtration plant would be installed in this regard.

Recently, Punjab Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Department has unveiled the government’s policy and advisory for conservation of groundwater. In this regard, the department has circulated a letter on Oct 1, 2018, which was sent to all director generals of LDA, RDA, GDA, MDA and FDA and to all MD of Wasas across the province.

According to the new policy, no NOC/site-plan is to be issued or approved by the competent authority for any petrol/gas/service station that provides a car wash facility unless its car wash facility makes provision for water recycling and a mechanised washing facility.

The letter added that all water supply connections to the existing petrol/gas/service stations using such a connection for car washing facility would be disconnected. It said that all the existing petrol/gas/service stations providing a car wash facility would within two months would install a water recycling facility and a mechanised car wash system (Rollover/Conveyer/Tunnel) using less than 100 litre water per car.

The letter concluded that no petrol/gas/service stations or any other car wash service provider would pump water from the aquifer for car wash facilities unless the same has been duly approved. It directed the development authorities and Wasas to ensure implementation immediately.

Meanwhile, the Wasa in Lahore, acting on the directions, has started disconnecting water supply connections. It disconnected 59 connections of service stations in Nishtar Town, 41 in Ravi Town while disconnection notices were served on 44 service stations. In Allama Iqbal Town, Wasa disconnected 60 water supply connections of service stations while disconnection notice was served on 64 stations. In Shalimar and Aziz Bhatti Town, Wasa officials disconnected 75 connections and disconnection notices were served on 75 remaining such stations. In Ganjh Baksh Town, water supply of 48 service stations was disconnected while notices were served on 51 service stations.