RCB dwellers reeling from water scarcity

Severe water shortages in the adjacent localities of the largest waterworks and overhead tank in the Gawalmandi area of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) have forced the heat-stricken residents to fetch tap and clean drinking water from other areas.

The residents of Chaudhry Karam Ilahi Compound, Qasai Mohalla, Kamal Road, Nimko Street, Children Park, Darya Abad School Street, and Qadeemi Masjid Street are facing severe difficulties due to the unavailability of water.

Previously, these areas were receiving water for one hour in the morning and another hour in the evening from the cantonment water supply network in the past. This time has now been reduced to 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. Not only, the duration of the water supply has been reduced, but the water pressure in these areas has also decreased, causing residents to face a distressing situation.

Citizens are forced to fetch water from other areas for drinking and bathroom use. Additionally, they have to visit the residences of their relatives and friends to wash their clothes.

Residents of Gawalmandi, Shehbaz Gohar, Muhammad Ali, Mumtaz, Shehzad Ali, Nazeer Ahmed and Shabbir Akhtar blame RCB for depriving them of water. They say despite repeatedly going to the cantonment board office to complain about the lack of water supply and bringing the situation to the notice of their Cantonment Board Ward Member Malik Tahir Ayub, all they received were mere assurances. They were told that the valves of the water supply system were being replaced and the water issue would be resolved soon.

The residents of Gawalmandi further said that in the intense heat, the lack of such a basic necessity as water has created extremely difficult conditions for children, women, the elderly, and the sick in their homes.

They demanded Cantonment Executive Officer Ali Irfan Rizvi relieve them from the severe difficulties caused by the unavailability of water in Gawalmandi.

RCB collects Rs4.18b

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) collected Rs4.18 billion against the expected revenue recovery target of Rs4.13b for the financial year 2023-24.

The recoveries have been made from property tax, transferred property TIP tax, water recovery, hoardings, commercialisation fee, building plan fee and Eidul Azha cattle market.

The recovery in terms of property/house tax in the financial year 2022-23 was Rs1.60 million, while Rs1.25b has been recovered against the target of Rs1.40b set for FY24. A strategy has also been prepared to recover the remaining Rs150m.

Against the recovery of Rs413m for FY23, Rs483m has been collected for the transferred property TIP tax in FY24. The Board collected Rs115m from the cattle market contracts in the outgoing fiscal year against the collection of Rs89.5m in the previous fiscal year.

The RCB has also collected more revenue in water recovery, hoardings, commercialisation fee and building plan fee against the set targets.

RCB spokesman Muhammad Rasheed Saqib said that Revenue Superintendent Muhammad Siddique and his team spent days and nights for full recoveries and received praise from Cantonment Executive Officer Syed Ali Irfan Rizvi praised the team for achieving the revenue recovery targets.

The recovery of improved revenues would help establish financial discipline and better provision of basic civic amenities to the citizens, he added.