WASA to penalise water wastage

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has issued a notification to implement the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders by imposing fines against increasing water wastage and regarding disconnection of water connections.

Justice Shahid Kareem reconstituted the Judicial Water and Environmental Commission Punjab for the protection of the source of water.

Advocates Hina Hafeezullah Ishaq and Syed Kamal Ali Haider were included in the commission. On the commission's recommendations, the court issued a formal order to impose fines and disconnect water to residential and commercial consumers for wastage of water.

According to the order, a fine to the tune of Rs10,000 for residential connection and Rs20,000 for commercial connection should be imposed for water wastage for the first time.

For the second time, residential and commercial water connections should be disconnected over water wastage, as water scarcity is now a threat to the environment and communities around the world, the court order further states.

Therefore, water wastage has to be prevented at all costs, as water scarcity and unnecessary use of water are affecting the water source.

Water is also being wasted from residential connections with car showrooms and service stations.

Rawalpindi Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf says a notification has been issued for the full implementation of the LHC's order to stop the wastage of water.

"All Wasa officers and staff will monitor water wastage. In the monitoring of water wastage, negligence and carelessness will not be ignored and steps will be taken to prevent water wastage in any case," he added.

It is pertinent to mention that Rawalpindi is grappling with an acute water crisis which aggravates during the summers.