Water bowser rates jacked up by 40%
The water, which is being supplied to nearly all water tanks in the city from Keenjhar Lake, is highly contaminated with a mixture of industrial and domestic waste, The Express Tribune has learnt. PHOTO: FILE
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) governing body has approved to hike in the official rates of water tankers being run by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).
The governing body was chaired RDA Chairman RDA Tariq Mahmood Murtaza.
The meeting was told that WASA continues to face a deficit owing to various expenditures. The meeting approved an increase in the cost of water tankers as a result of the increasing cost of electricity and petroleum product.
The WASA informed the governing board that its current budget was two-fourths in deficit due to the rising cost of electricity and petroleum products.
The meeting was told that the WASA was struggling to meet the cost of salaries and electricity bills of tube wells.
The WASA told the meeting that it was unavoidable to increase the rates of water tankers to meet its growing expenditures.
The RDA meeting approved the price hike for domestic water tankers from Rs600 to Rs1,000. Similarly, it approved the price hike for commercial water tankers from Rs1,000 to Rs1,500.
The RDA also allowed the WASA to charge Rs500 instead of Rs350 from tankers filling up 1,000 litre gallons of water from WASA-run filling stations.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2022.