Water charges increased massively for Islamabad residents

• Water charges hiked by 200% to 300% by MCI.
• Other Punjab cities charge much higher than Islamabad.
• MCI collects Rs700m per month from consumers.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration has hiked water charges by 200% to 300% with effect from January 2024 for the first time since 2017, The News reported Wednesday.

According to an official of the water supply directorate, the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) collects Rs700 million per month from consumers against total expenses, which include salaries and maintenance charges per month.

The report stated that consumers residing on plot size less than 250 yards would now pay Rs480 per month as water charges, water charges on houses of plot size 251 yards to 499 yards Rs624, houses on plot size 500 yards to 999 yards Rs1,500 per month, houses on plot size 1,000 yards to 1,999 yards Rs2,000 per month while those residing in houses constructed on plot size 2,000 yards and above will pay Rs3,500 per month.

The MCI has fixed Rs600 per month as water charges for houses of different categories in model villages, while residents of government houses would pay Rs240 to Rs940 per month.

Meanwhile, for houses where water meters have been installed, the MCI has fixed Rs480 per 1,000 gallons where water supply is up to 5,000 gallons. Those using water over 5,000 to 20,000 gallons would pay Rs70 per gallon per month charges.

Moreover, the MCI would receive Rs1.5 per square feet charges from hotels and motels located in the National Park area and commercial buildings in the Blue Area. The same rate has also been fixed for private hospitals.

The MCI also fixed Rs10 per square feet water charges for motor garages having service stations while petrol pumps with service stations would pay Rs40,000 per month.

Similarly, the cold storages would pay Rs19,200, bakeries Rs1,008, poultry shops and tea stalls Rs864 while industrial area plots where water is used only for drinking and for toilet use would pay Rs8,400 and where water is used as raw material would pay Rs24,000 per month as water charges.

It is important to note that the increased water charges in Islamabad are still one-third of the charges received by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) in Rawalpindi, Lahore and other metropolitan corporations of Punjab.

For example, houses up to 10 marlas in Rawalpindi are paying over Rs2,000 per month in water bills whereas water charges for houses of different sizes are from Rs480 to Rs624 per month.