HYDERABAD, Nov 4: The Sindh finance secretary has directed the city’s three town municipal administrations to clear water and sewerage charges of Wasa by Dec 31.

The secretary, Malik Israr Ahmad, issued the directive while presiding over a meeting regarding recoveries of Wasa dues at the Shahbaz Hall here on Tuesday.

He asked the TMAs to keep liaison with Wasa to get their bills cleared in the given period.

He also directed Sindh and district government departments to arrange payment of water charges from their own resources otherwise their water supply would be disconnected.

The secretary said due to limited resources, the government could not provide additional grant to its departments or subsidy to Wasa to clear the dues.

Expressing concern over the financial position of Wasa, Mr Ahmad said the Hyderabad Development Authority should expand its recovery network and improve the billing system to get the organization moving. He said installation of water meters should also be ensured. He said consumers should be given relief so that the recovery ratio was increased.

Responding to complaints, he directed the authorities to issue bills with particular reference of water connection point and remove illegal connections.

HDA director-general Ali Ahmad Lund and Wasa managing director Tahir Ahmad told the meeting that Rs481.318 million had accumulated against government departments on account of non-payment of water and sewerage charges.

They said due to the discontinuation of subsidy and the development fund by the government, Wasa was facing liabilities of Rs295.031 million and it was not able to carry out routine maintenance of the system. The Wasa MD said against the average monthly expenditure of Rs28.20 million, the average monthly recovery of the agency was Rs10 million. He said due to the deficit, Wasa was not in a position even to pay salaries to its employees.

He said Rs481.318 million outstanding against Sindh government departments should be deducted at source and remitted to Wasa for clearing its liabilities.

DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed, Sindh and district governments officials and representatives from the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, police and rangers attended the meeting.