WASA to solarise offices to control power bills

RAWALPINDI:

The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi has decided to shift its offices to solar power to do away with exorbitant electricity costs.

The Punjab government has also authorised the project. The project's work will begin in July-August this year. The project costing Rs195 million would be completed in three months.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has approved a bailout package for the WASA to help it recover from its financial difficulties. Due to financial difficulties, WASA has requested an Rs880 million bailout package from the government to cover the high electricity expenses of tube wells.

The government will likely provide half of this amount as a bailout package. The Punjab government is also likely to approve the increase in water tariff. Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Rawalpindi have all been included in the Punjab government's financial budget for the upcoming financial year 2022-23.

A total of Rs6 billion funds had been allotted for this purpose. The funds will help the five WASAs transition to solar energy and solve their financial difficulties. The WASA Rawalpindi has to pay millions of rupees to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) under the head of electricity dues.

Earlier, the IESCO severed the electricity supply to various tube wells run by the WASA.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2022.