ISLAMABAD: The PTI, which is in opposition in the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) criticised Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz on Thursday and urged him to reverse the new water and conservancy charges.

They gave the mayor a week to rescind the decision and threatened to hold a protest outside his office if he did not.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, opposition leader in the MCI Sheraz Kayani said that the MCI had raised water and conservancy charges at a time when Islamabad residents are not being provided water and other basic facilities and services.

The MCI recently issued bills with a 100pc increase in water charges and a 200pc increase on conservancy charges. Conservancy charges are related to street maintenance, road construction, streetlights and so on.

Flanked by PTI union council chairman Malik Sajid, Raja Faisal, Qazi Tanveer and others, Mr Kayani said the mayor had failed to deliver during his four-year tenure.

Other press conference participants said that the MCI had created problems for local residents by asking them to deposit six months’ bills at the increased rates.

They said that the mayor refused to release funding for water schemes worth Rs150 million, while water supply lines were plagued by leaks and no action was being taken to fix them.

Mr Kayani said there were also a number of illegal connections on the main water lines coming from Simly Dam and Khanpur Dam but the mayor was not taking action to remove them.

Asked by Dawn afterwards how the PTI could protest increased water and conservancy charges that were in fact finalised by a committee with equal representation from the PML-N and PTI, Mr Kayani said: “Yes, a committee finalised the rates, but we linked the imposition of the new rates with better service delivery. But the mayor ignored our point of view and imposed the new rate.”

He asked how the MCI could ask for higher water and conservancy charges when it was not providing water or carrying out repair work in streets, adding that the MCI should take back the notification of the new rates within a week or the opposition would surround the mayor’s office.

He said G-10 and other sectors that depend on water from Khanpur Dam were facing a serious water crisis, as supply had been almost halted while the dam is de-silted but the MCI has not provided any alternatives to residents.

“Of the total 34 water tankers, only six are [in working condition] and the rest are dysfunctional and parked. No action is being taken, similarly, on the 40 out of 154 tubewells that are dysfunctional,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2020