WASA outsources service to crack down on defaulters

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has outsourced the service to make recoveries from defaulters and issued final notices to pay outstanding dues.

The defaulters include various government departments and institutions apart from private companies, buildings and plazas etc.

The WASA is currently facing a financial crunch due to the non-recovery of outstanding dues.

The WASA has also taken approval from the governing body of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) for outsourcing the service for the recovery of outstanding dues.

The list comprising details of defaulters has been provided to different private companies after the outsourcing of the service.

Sources said that major defaulters of WASA included the Parks and Horticulture Authority, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, police stations, public and private schools, hospitals, hotels as well as residential and commercial plazas.

The sources said that defaulters did not take warning notices from WASA seriously and that was why that the agency has outsourced the recovery service.

The WASA has divided its jurisdiction into four zones and formed four teams for disconnecting water connections of defaulters.

The recovery teams will also have the assistance of the police, sources said.

In this regard, WASA Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood said they have issued several notices to the defaulters but they did not budge.

He said there will be a zero-tolerance policy against defaulters in the operation after the outsourcing of service.

He added that the agency has focused on recovery and cut its expenditures for the provision of better services to consumers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2021.