December 12, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Dec 11: As many as 50 per cent consumers are not paying their water bills to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) leaving no other option with the Agency but to launch a fresh grand drive against them.

Deputy Director Revenue, Wasa, Saleem Tariq said this on Thursday while talking to Dawn about their ongoing campaign against the defaulters and those having illegal connections.

He said the Agency had issued notices to more than 800 consumers, both domestic and commercial, giving them a three-day deadline to clear their dues and regularise their connections, but it cut no ice with them.

Mr Tariq said about 20 commercial connections had been snapped on Tuesday and Wednesday. The defaulters included the owners of some commercial plazas, hotels and food outlets in the busy Commercial Market and Murree Road area. He said clearing these bills was not a big deal for these defaulters but they were not willing to pay even a penny.

The Agency, he said, had set November 30 as deadline for the defaulters and illegal connection-holders but it fell flat on them.

He said the non-payment of water charges was causing loss of millions of rupees to Wasa every year thus hindering the launching of new projects.

Mr Tariq said last year only 40 per cent of the consumers paid their bills as compared to 50 per cent payments this year.