SC gives a month for draft on underground water pricing

Top court orders Wasa Managing Director to submit proposals for saving water

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed all the provinces and federation to prepare a similar draft in four weeks for deciding the prices of underground water.

The court also ordered the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director to submit proposals for saving water.

The three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the suo moto case of underground water.

Justice Bandial said that the court should be informed about the progress on legislation.

Justice Aijazul Ahsan remarked that there were only a few points which needed legislation like transfer of money in water tax account, installation of flow metre and Faisalabad project-like steps taken in other districts.

He said the court wanted to know the progress made on all of these points.

Additional advocate general Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the court that detailed meetings had been held to draft law for the imposition of water tax.

Advocate General Sindh said that the provincial government had given its proposals on water bill to the attorney general and the Sindh government would keep in consideration the draft of the federal government.

Justice Ahsan said that nothing would happen even in ten years if the pace of work was such that a draft was first made and then circulated.

Justice Bandial asked if the Sindh government was with the court order.

Advocate General Sindh replied it was the Sindh government which first issued the notification of charges.

Justice Bandial said that a notification alone was not sufficient and more cooperation would be needed from the Sindh government.

Justice Ahsan said that a year had passed but no progress had been made. The court should know what amount has deposited in the account.

The additional attorney general informed the court that a total of Rs405 million had been deposited in National Bank’s account of which the money had come from Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, and Balochistan but no amount had been given by the Sindh government since July 2.

Court assistant Ahsan Siddiqui said that he had spoken to the officials and the money would be deposited soon.

The advocate general said that the draft of the law and the transfer of amount would be complete in two weeks. Additional Advocate General Punjab Faisal Chauhdry told the court that Punjab had installed meters in all the industries across the province.

Counsel for Wasa maintained first the apex court issued the order that charges would be received on water products and then another order came which said that only 25 per cent bill would be deposited.

He said that after the order of the SC, the companies depositing full amount had stopped paying water charges as they claimed that they had already paid the amount in excess and the court should interpret its order.

Justice Ahsan said that water charges would apply on all beverage companies and those who had paid 25 per cent of the bill would get their amount adjusted in the final bill.