Unpaid dues: Darkness descends on CDA headquarters

IESCO cut the agency’s power after Rs13 million tab went unpaid; budget crunch may cause summer water shortage.

ISLAMABAD:

The lights went out at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarter on Saturday. As the authority prepares to spend Rs6.5 billion to switch to LED streetlights in Islamabad, non-payment of power dues left the civic agency’s main offices in darkness.

The Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (IESCO) suspended electricity supply to the CDA’s office because of an overdue Rs13 million tab, officials said. The dues include Rs800,000 for Melody Food Park and Rs500,000 for the fire brigade’s office.

An IESCO official requesting not to be named confirmed that the CDA is the company’s biggest defaulter. “Despite several notices served to the authority, the total amount is still to be cleared, leaving us with no option but to cut their power,” he added.

CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid confirmed electricity was suspended because the authority had not paid their dues. He said IESCO had also suspended power for Jinnah Convention Centre but restored it after the dues were cleared. He blamed the financial crunch faced by the civic agency for its inability to pay the bills.

Power restored to Sangjani Treatment Plant

Separately, IESCO restored power supply to the Sangjani Treatment Plant (STP), after the CDA paid Rs13 million of the Rs63 million it owes to IESCO in electricity bills for the plant.

STP supplies 6 million gallons of water per day from Khanpur Dam.

IESCO had suspended STP’s power four days back due to the accumulated bill. The suspension of power led to the stoppage of water supply to areas including sectors G-10, G-11, F-10, and F-11 in Islamabad and the cantonment areas of Rawalpindi. IESCO officials said Rawalpindi’s Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) paid their dues in time.

A CDA official requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that the city could face an acute artificial water shortage this summer because the CDA will probably fail to pay its remaining dues to IESCO.

Around 24 million gallons a day are supplied to the capital from Simly Dam, with another 10 million gallons from Khanpur Dam are shared by Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Even though the water level in the lake has fallen, CDA Water Management Wing Director General Sanaullah Aman is hopeful that monsoon rains would help fill the dams.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2012.