NA panel irked over water shortage in Islamabad

MPs urge CDA to devise long-term plan, ensure maintenance of govt accommodation

ISLAMABAD: A panel of parliamentarians on Wednesday expressed serious concerns over a shortage of water in Islamabad and directed that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) take stringent measures to meet the water requirements of the residents.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met at the Parliament House with Member of National Assembly (MNA) Rana Hayat Khan in the chair.

The committee directed the CDA and IMC to come up with proposals to enhance its budget if required so that the committee can raise them at the appropriate forum for an amicable solution to the issue.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Asad Umar said that residents of the federal capital were not getting water, he, however, confirmed that the situation had somewhat improved after his party had staged a protest in the capital and a few tube wells were restored.

At this, Khan asked Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Aziz why he was not taking steps to provide water, noting that by doing so the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would get more votes in the next elections.

The committee members urged the civic body to come up with a plan to resolve the matter and submit concrete proposals in the next meeting of the committee and that the panel will help CDA take up the issue on relevant forums.

Meanwhile, CDA Member Planning Asad Mehboob Kayani told the committee that at the moment, they were supplying 56 million gallons water per day (MGD) to the capital while the demand was 110 MGD.

Aziz told the committee that for the time being, they were taking measures to ensure adequate water supply to the capital. But for the long-term, he said, they were looking to draw water from the Ghazi Brotha Dam but Rs100 billion would be required for it.

At this, the committee members assured the mayor its support the proposals for providing uninterrupted water supply in the federal capital.

The committee further directed the CDA to ensure that government-provided accommodations are properly maintained since most are in dilapidated condition and require work on an urgent basis.

At this CDA’s director, general of services told the committee that only Rs200 million were allocated for renovation and maintenance of around 14,000 public sector buildings including the Pak-Secretariat, foreign office and the national assembly building.

He maintained that no money could be spared or renovation or maintenance of houses of small employees since a major chunk of the funds was soaked up by priority projects.

The official added that of the Rs200 million allocated, around Rs60 million has yet to be released by the finance ministry and the fiscal year 2016-17 is about to end.

The committee asked the CDA to submit a proposal to enhance the current allocations for renovations to Rs400 million per year.

The panel also unanimously recommended that the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2013, moved by MNA Naeema Kishwar, be passed as the Senate had already passed it.

The committee further recommended that the Federal Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2016, moved by MNA Dr Fauzia Hameed, should be passed with slight amendments.

The committee also directed the mayor to shift the National Council of Arts College, located in Rawalpindi, into the NCA Complex in Shakarparian.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2017.