May 30, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1428

GUJRANWALA, May 29: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is in dire straits.

According to survey report received by Dawn here on Tuesday, Wasa failed to expand its water supply and sewerage system as 70 per cent population was still deprived of clean drinking water and 55 per cent of sewerage. Moreover, mismanagement has compounded problems and it was facing acute monetary crisis due to accumulation of outstanding dues which soared to Rs230 million.

The population of the city has crossed two million and Wasa is providing drinking water facility to only 30 per cent population and sewerage to 45 per cent. But drinking water is not clean due to mixing of sewage. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Environment Protection Department have already declared the water unfit for human consumption after testing its sample at 20 places. The use of dirty water is the cause for spread of diseases like gastroenteritis and hepatitis, etc.

It is learnt that seven of 11 water tanks constructed by the agency are defective as water could not reach the tanks from tubewells. Moreover, the water tanks have not been cleaned for a long time as a result of which people are avoiding to consume.

The number of consumers of water supply is 30,000 and sewerage 80,000 and the agency issues them monthly bill of Rs90 and Rs40, respectively. However, most of them are not paying bill due to defective performance of its staff.

According to survey report there are 64 union councils in city in which 167 sewer men have been deployed. The agency wants to recruit 160 more sewer men but it is facing difficulty to fill in the posts as nobody likes to join for Rs4,200 per month salary. Similarly, at least half a dozen posts of executive engineers, four of SDOs and 10 of sub-engineers have been lying vacant since long. Its only executive engineer is on deputation from the highway department, while the agency has sent its three engineers and seven other officers to other department on deputation.

When contacted, Wasa managing director Tariq Mahmood said the Punjab government had released Rs33 million for replacing old water pipes in the city and the agency has hired the services of NLC and FWO for the purpose. The project would be completed this year, he added.

He said 21 new tubewells would be installed at a cost of Rs40 million.— Correspondent