Bowser service thrives as water crisis deepens

As the water crisis has exacerbated in the garrison city amidst short supply from dams and tube wells, tanker suppliers have started robbing the citizens by selling the commodity at exorbitant rates.

The district, city and cantonment boards’ administrations have failed to regulate rates of water tankers, mostly illegal, which draw water from illegal hydrants causing the groundwater to plummet hundreds of feet deep.

Like every year, the citizens of Rawalpindi have to face severe water shortages during the summer. Several areas including Adiala Road, Bhata Chowk, Misryal Road, Airport Housing Society, Gulraiz, Dhok Banaras, Range Road, Morgah, Chakri Road, Dhamyal, Bank Colony, Quaid-e-Azam Colony, Pirwadhai, Satellite Town, Siham, Chauhar Chowk and suburban areas have been facing severe water shortages for the last couple of days.

Muhammad Rameez, a resident of Adiala Road, said that the water supply situation in his neighbourhood was deteriorating with each passing day. He said that all water bores have dried up in the last two years as the groundwater has tumbled several feet deep. He said that the area residents were compelled to buy water tankers for exorbitant rates.

A tanker containing 1000-litre water is being sold between Rs2,000 and Rs2,500 and water has become so scarce that a house gets a tanker after efforts of a week, he said demanding that the administration should devise a water supply system in new settlements including Adiala Road.

Muhammad Zubair, a resident of Bank Colony, said that the water shortage in his area has increased to such an extent that several residents have to move to other places.

“Families are also fed up with the water scarcity in the neighbourhood and many of them sold their expensive houses for nominal rates and shifted to the localities. Land rates have also come down drastically due to water scarcity in the neighbourhood. The tanker mafia also has a monopoly in these areas. Happiness and sorrow also become a problem at times as the lack of water also causes trouble to the guests,” he said.

Rehmat Jan, who supplies water through tankers in Bank Colony, said that the groundwater has tumbled drastically. Tanker suppliers have to fetch water from far away areas. The rising prices of petroleum products have pushed up the prices of water tankers.

WASA officials were contacted to seek their version on the water shortage issue and the monopoly of the tanker supplier but they were not available to give the version.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2022.