Apex court seeks report on water price in Katas Raj case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday sought a report regarding the payable price of water for the cement factories and other dues in Katas Raj Temple case.

During the suo motu case hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar expressed resentment over the government’s failure to decide the water rate for cement factories.

He sought a report from the local government Secretary on September 18 in this regard. The chief justice also directed to review the issue of water scarcity due to the cement factories in Fateh Jang.

The CJP inquired, “The cement factories had to arrange an alternative water source in the surroundings of Katas Raj Temple. Has the rate of water been determined or not?”

The secretary told that the rate has been fixed to the extent of Dera Ghazi Khan and Best Way factory.

“Why the rate has not been decided for the rest of the factories? Work until 12 midnight. The water will not be available for free now as it has attained the worth of gold,” he remarked.

The chief justice said these tasks “will not be accomplished while sitting in office,” suggesting the defendants to “go outside and find the situation of all of Punjab’s cement factories.”

“(You should) know whether the price of water is being paid or not,” the CJP directed.

The hearing of the case was adjourned until September 18.

Last year in November, the top court had taken notice of the media reports that the pond in the Katas Raj Temple complex was drying up because the nearby cement factories were drawing a large amount of water through a number of sub-soil wells.