RAWALPINDI, March 20: The city’s Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has acknowledged that the drinking water available to the citizens is 64 per cent polluted.

Lt-Col (retired) Islamul Haq, the newly-appointed chief of Wasa who is PhD in Water Quality Management, asserted on Tuesday that human waste and used water was getting mixed with drinking water because of rusting and decaying water and sewage pipes at numerous places in the city.

However, he made the soothing statement that Wasa plans to separate and install new sewage/water pipes but funds were not available to materialise them fully.

Official sources in Wasa and experts told Dawn that 64 per cent contamination made water unsuitable not only for drinking but even for any other human use, like washing hands.

They suspected that about 70 per cent of the water supply lines in the city were corroded and carrying sewage water too to the consumers.

Recently, the residents of Asghar Mall and Dhoke Ratta had complained of receiving stinking water.

“No wonder water-borne diseases are common in the city as evident from the number of patients visiting city hospitals,” a pathologist at the Rawalpindi Medical College said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding a Rs5.14 billion project aimed at replacing the old sewage system but the citizens do not see much on the ground.