CDA mulls over water tariff for residents

[LahoreEstate]

Monday, May 18, 2009
Islamabad

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is mulling to impose water tariff on the residents of the federal capital, as last resort to discourage non-judicious use of water and ensure its conservation.

“We are mulling to introduce water tariff in Islamabad, as the people seldom bother to take steps for the conservation of this precious natural resource despite knowing that the levels of reservoirs are downing with every passing day,” said the official.

He said the water table in the city is depleting day-by-day while the projects to add water resources are not yet in sight or some projects, planned by the CDA would take at least three to five years to contribute water.

The best option was to create awareness among the residents about self-imposed austerity drive, but except very few, such exercises bring no change in the behaviour of the people. Presently, the CDA is receiving fixed water charges for the residents, but the people are misusing the facility and the last option is to impose tariff on the pattern of electricity charges.

The official said that the CDA is paying 80 per cent subsidy on water. He was of the view that residents of the federal capital are receiving water on the lowest charges in major cities of the world. He said according to a survey, major chunk of water supply is wasted by the residents or through the broken water supply pipelines, which have outlived.

According to the Master Plan, the water supply network was to be upgraded after the passage of every 10 to 15 years, but unfortunately, the city fathers could not comply with these directions due to ill-planning or scarcity of funds.

According to experts, the authority can well tackle water scarcity in the federal capital if it upgrades water supply network to end wastage and the project would incur eight-time less amount than the authority would pay for the execution of water conduction from Tarbella Dam.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=178219