RAWALPINDI, April 1: The water bowser service being run by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is running into huge losses despite exorbitant rates being charged from the consumers, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

Quoting an Asian Development Bank study, the source said the city's bowser service incurred 50 per cent losses last year. The estimated cost of last year's operation was Rs3 million but the revenue collection was Rs1.5 million. The agency runs 13 bowsers each of 1,000 gallons capacity. The delivery charges are Rs250 for domestic consumers and Rs600 for commercial users.

Director Water Supply Malik Akram, when contacted, conceded that the bowser service was running into huge losses. He said they had to pay for fuel, salaries, maintenance and other establishment charges, which could not be met through the amount collected from the consumers.

Besides, he said, the bowser service had to supply free water to areas where the main supply had got disrupted due to some fault. "It should be kept in mind that we are not operating on commercial basis," he added.

There is a proposal to induct smaller bowsers, he said and added that this measure may cut down the operating charges. In view of the situation, the ADB consultants, it has been learnt, have recommended privatization of the water bowser service to make it more cost-effective and efficient.

According to the proposal, the operation of selling water through bowsers should be privatized by leasing water bowsers to the private sector. The proposal further suggests that the stand posts should be provided at identified locations and the operation and maintenance of these posts should be the responsibility of the administration of the Union Council concerned.

Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority and Water and Sanitation Agency Hamid Nawaz said the proposal had not been entertained. "We can't accept each and everything ADB tells us to do," he said.

Meanwhile, the agency has claimed that the water supply deficit has narrowed down to 1.5 million gallons daily (MGD) due to enhanced supply from Khanpur Dam. The city is receiving 8 MGD from Khanpur Dam, another 8 MGD from Rawal Dam and 24 MGD from the 209 tubewells.

With the laying of new supply line, Mr Akram said, the line losses had also been drastically reduced and now not more than 1 MGD is being lost through the supply system. Nevertheless, he said, the illegal connections and theft from supply lines still remain a major source of concern.