Wasa generates 43% revenue through own resources

Rawalpindi: Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) which was facing severe financial crunch over the last one year or more has been able to improve its condition while generating 43 per cent revenue through its own resources.

This was stated by Chairman, WASA/RDA Mohammad Arif Abbasi while talking to The News here on Monday. He said that 43 per cent revenue has been generated through own resources and during the last four months .

Dilating upon the measures adopted on own resources basis, the chairman told that through an effective campaign Wasa recovered outstanding amounts from default consumers . Those who didn’t pay their water bills , their water connections were disconnected. On this a large number of default consumers approached Wasa to clear their outstanding amount against water tariffs.

Similarly, on his direction, a drive was launched against the people who have obtained illegal water connections. During the operation, the members of the specially constituted teams after detecting the number of illegal connections, served notices to the related citizens to get their connections regularize their connections in a specified time. Around 26000 people approached and have got their connections regularized after paying fees. Still there are number of people who still have obtained illegal connections and not approached Wasa for regularizing them. Wasa while continuing its plan would certainly suspend water supply to them while disconnecting their illegal connections. Interestingly most consumers while obtaining domestic connections are doing commercial business and paying water tariff on domestic user basis but no official or staff of water section as well as inspectors took notice on this illegal act. As a result Wasa started facing loss to its revenue. However, now we have put hands on such consumers as well who are making commercial use of water while obtaining domestic connections, Arif Abbasi stated.

Moreover, acting as per the plan, we have also issued notices to owners of housing societies to pay water bills to Wasa which in the past was never done. This incurred huge loss to our revenue, he said.

Wasa has also issued notices to owners of Plazas established in Rawalpindi city and its adjoining areas asking them to pay water tariff in accordance with the number of shops existing there. Prior to this, Wasa was collecting tariff from plaza owners while all shops existing there were benefitting from water facility. The non collection of water tariff from all shops and shopping centers have also incurred severe financial loss to Wasa as a result of which it started to suffer bad economically. Over the last four months we have utilized our own resources to overcome financial crunch existing in the department. In the past all were relying on getting funds from Punjab government demanding bail-out packages and making increase in water tariff etc. However, now the situation is improving a lot as far as economic situation of the department is concerned, the chairman remarked.