Islamabad and Rawalpindi face water scarcity as Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) cut off electricity to Sangjani Filtration Plant citing non-payment of dues worth Rs 67 million.
Sources said that RCB had to pay Rs 257 million in electricity bills and maintenance of water projects.
Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mahmood claimed that 10 union councils dependent on Khanpur Dam water, including Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Matkal, Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai, Pindora, Double Road Shamsabad, Mullpur and Sadiqabad were facing water shortage.
“We have to run tube wells for longer than the normal 16 hours-a-day,” said Raja Shoukat and ordered water tankers to provide water in the affected areas free of cost.
A senior official of Capital Development Authority (CDA) claimed that the civic body had arranged alternate measures to cop up with water shortage.
On the other hand, Rawalpindi Cantonment was dependant on water from Khanpur Dam.
An official from IESCO said that the decision to suspend electricity at Sangjani was taken to recover unpaid dues from the local civic bodies.
Sources said that IESCO officials had made it clear that power supply to Sangjani Water Filtration Plant would be restored only after the civic bodies clear their dues. Meanwhile, CDA has asked RCB and WASA for early payment of arrears.