ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to raise water and sewerage charges in the federal capital.
According to CDA’s Water Directorate, the revised rates will be linked to plot size. Nearly 80,000 consumers with water connections across Islamabad will be affected.
A public hearing on the new charges will be held on September 3 at the Convention Centre from 10 am to 2 pm. Citizens have been asked to share feedback before implementation.
Last year, in January, the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) increased water charges by 200 to 300 per cent. After the hike, houses on plots under 250 yards paid Rs 480 per month.
For plots between 251 and 499 yards, charges were Rs624, while those on 500 to 999 yards paid Rs1,500 per month. Houses on 1,000 to 1,999 yards plots paid Rs 2,000, and those above 2,000 yards paid Rs 3,500 monthly.
Rain, thunderstorms forecast for Islamabad
Residents had protested the increase, saying they rarely get water from CDA and rely on boring or private tankers to meet daily needs.
For metered houses, the MCI fixed Rs480 for every 1,000 gallons if consumption was up to 5,000 gallons. For usage between 5,000 and 20,000 gallons, the charges were Rs70 per additional 1,000 gallons per month.
The MCI said even after the hike, Islamabad’s water charges remain one-third of the rates collected by Wasa in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and other major cities of Punjab.
Before this, the last increase in water charges was in 2017. Officials from the Water Supply Directorate said the MCI collects around Rs700 million monthly against total expenses, including salaries and maintenance.