Rawalpindi   -  All available resources should be utilized to improve the performance of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) besides accelerating the work on ongoing projects to address water scarcity. 

This was stated by Vice Chairman WASA/RDA Haroon Kamal Hashmi at a meeting of WASA officers held here on Tuesday. 

The meeting was attended by Managing Director (MD) WASA Raja Shaukat Mehmood, Deputy Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf, Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of WASA.  Briefing on the occasion, Raja Shaukat Mehmood said that WASA was supplying water to its customers from three sources including Rawal Dam, Khanpur Dam and 460 tube wells. Nearly 54 million gallons per day, water is being supplied to the citizens against the demand of 68 million gallons. 

There is a shortage of 14 million gallons of water per day, he said adding that various projects including Ghazi Brotha, Daducha and Chahan dams are underway to meet the shortfall.   

He further said that work on Kehshan Water Supply Scheme was also in full swing and under this scheme, nine tube-wells were being installed on the banks of Swan River. This scheme would be completed in the financial year 2021-22 and help cater to the water needs of different areas of PP-13, he added.  Funds for acquiring land for Chahan Dam project has been provided to RDA and Rs 841 million was also allocated in the financial year 2021-22 for the project. 

On this occasion, the Vice Chairman directed the authorities to intensify operation against defaulters to further improve WASA’s revenue recovery. He also directed the Senior Special Magistrate to take immediate action on the challans of the defaulters and said to launch a crackdown to accelerate recovery from the defaulters. 

He also directed the WASA officers to take immediate action to recover aquifer charges from private housing societies. 

The Vice Chairman WASA said, “We all have to work as a team to solve the problems of the people on priority basis.”