RAWALPINDI: With summer season hitting the residents of twin cities hard and underground water level going further down, the illegal water hydrants business is making strides.
Though the residents of Rawalpindi had not heard of illegal water hydrants only a few years back, the poor performance of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and Rawalpindi District Administration has encouraged the emergence of private water hydrants who are making hey with the the malfunctioning of WASA.
Sources in the district administration told Pakistan Today that officials were involved with the private hydrants business which has, of late, seen a mushroom growth and no action has been taken against the illegal business.
The official said that it is unfortunate to note that poor people already hit by rising inflation and price hike have no option but to purchase water from private hydrants who are providing a small water tanks at hefty amount of Rs 2,500 per tanker.
“This is a mafia rising in Rawalpindi but no one cares. It seems we are living in a jungle. We used to hear such stories about Karachi but now its all happening in our own city right under the nose of the Prime Minister and nobody cares about it. Senior management of WASA and RDA is involved with this dirty business and they are seeking commissions out of this filthy business,” said Mohammad Rehan, a resident of Sattelite Town Rawalpindi while talking to Pakistan Today.
He said that WASA tankers are not available whenever applied and therefore the people have left with no option but to contact illegal water hydrants working privately.
Another resident of Rawalpindi, Hasnat Khan, told this scribe that the tubewell of his area was not working since many days and water provided by WASA was not available. Hence, he said that they had to call for private water tankers who are costing them heavily.
Another citizen, Umar Rehman, told that water supply to his house had been abandoned for so many months due to some issues with the pipeline and he had to buy water for daily usage. He said he was a poor man and could not afford purchasing water. He requested WASA authorities to help people who couldn’t afford private water tankers.
Admin launches operation against illegal hydrants; seals 15
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned on the directives of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq on Saturday launched an operation against illegal hydrants and sealed 15 in different areas.
According to a WASA spokesman, Assistant Commissioner (AC), Saddar, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi and Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) jointly launched an operation against illegal hydrants and conducted raids in Adiala Road, Dahgal and Gorakhpur areas. More than 15 illegal hydrants were sealed while their motors and pumps were also confiscated.
He informed that the water supply to thousands of inmates in Adiala Jail was also affected due to illegal hydrants.
The operation was led by AC, Saddar, Abdul Rehman, while Deputy Director WASA, Rana Shams-ur-Rehman, Chaudhry Akmal and Town Officer of MCR, Rafaqat Gondal took part in the operation and the illegal hydrants were sealed with the help of police.
The illegal hydrants were not only selling polluted water to the citizens at exorbitant prices, but they did not even get any registration from the authorities concerned, he added.
The AC informed that the illegal hydrants were causing shortage of ground water in these areas and creating problems for the residents. The illegal hydrants were also selling water on exorbitant rates, he added.
The owners of such illegal water hydrants would not be allowed to exploit the situation and supply water to the citizens at exorbitant rates. The owners have also been directed to get registered their hydrants immediately, he added.
