RAWALPINDI, Jan 25: About 50 private bowsers are operating illegally in the city supplying contaminated water to the residents to the clinical neglect of the city district government, sources in Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Dawn on Thursday.

The private water tankers can be seen operating in Faizabad, Nasirabad, Pirwadhai and other areas falling in the jurisdiction of Wasa.

The sources said that Wasa tankers were supplying ‘filtered water’ to the residents, while the owners of the private tankers were supplying water from the tubewells notorious for drawing contaminated water. The agency has already expressed its reservations about this illegal service which is not only causing it a huge monetary loss but also posing a serious threat to the life of the residents.

Interestingly, the agency is yet to get the magisterial powers to crack down on these illegal water tankers or challenge their operation in a court.

When this reporter contacted the Wasa Managing Director, Brig (retired) Noorul Hassan, and sought his comments in this regard, he suggested that the city district government should ban this “illegal and unhygienic practice”. “The Wasa has no magisterial powers to take action against these private tankers, but I strongly favour immediate ban on this illegal water supply service,” Mr Hassan added.

He said these water tankers were supplying contaminated water to the residents which was also affecting the credibility of the agency. The increasing number of private tankers in the city also indicates that the Wasa’s bowser section has failed to meet the demand of the residents.

Currently, Wasa has 11 water tankers which cannot meet the demand of a vast population. However, the sources said that the water being supplied by Wasa was fit for human consumption compared to the water supplied by the private bowsers.

The sources said that Wasa would soon get 15 more bowsers in order to ensure prompt supply of water to the residents and to discourage the illegal water supply service.

It is to be mentioned here that the private tankers cannot supply water to the areas falling in the jurisdiction of Wasa and the job can only be performed by the civic agency through its bowser section. The local police are also running their tanker service in Faizabad.

The sources said that the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi had recommended the appointment of magistrates in the agency adding that the Law Department had not yet given the nod in this regard.