Cantt residents slapped with borewell fee

Frustrated by inadequate water availability for 15 days a month under the water supply system in Cantonment areas, residents who had arranged borewells in their localities at their own expense have been slapped with a regularisation fee of Rs55,400 for residential borewells and Rs200,000 for commercial ones.

Warning notices have been issued to those who fail to pay the charges within seven days, stating that their borewells would be removed and legal action taken against them.

According to sources, residential and commercial water connection holders in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board areas are supplied water every other day despite paying their full monthly bills.

Under the system, consumers receive water for 15 days a month, which is insufficient for their daily needs, but are charged for the entire month.

Frustrated by the situation, residents arranged borewells in their respective areas at their own expense to meet their daily water requirements and adopted an alternative system for meeting their water needs.

However, under Resolution No. 23 of its board meeting, the Cantonment Board imposed charges on groundwater from underground water reserves.

The notices issued to residents state that they are using groundwater illegally for residential and commercial purposes and therefore the said illegal borewells need to be regularised.

For regularisation, they have been directed to deposit Rs55,400 within seven days for each residential borewell and Rs200,000 for a commercial borewell.

Otherwise, the borewells will be removed and legal action will be taken against those responsible.

Several attempts were made to contact Cantonment Board spokesman Imran Habib for his position, but he could not be reached.