RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) on Saturday submitted its annual budget worth Rs7.2 billion to Punjab Wasa for final approval.

According to budget documents, Wasa`s total income stood at Rs3.792 billion from its own sources, including water and sewerage charges, while Rs2.233 billion was received from the Punjab government for development schemes.

Total expenditure has been estimated at Rs5.002 billion.Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf told Dawn that the Punjab government had appointed Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema as Chairman Wasa.

After vetting, the chairman forwarded the budget to Punjab Wasa Lahore for final approval.

He said Wasa was a self-sustaining organisation and met its expenses from its own resources.

`The income generated through bills will be used for improving the water supply system in the garrison city,` he said.

A major portion of the budget, he added, was consumed by electricity bills for more than 480 tube wells and staff salaries. `We are trying to reduce expenditures, but electricity rates increase two or threetimes a year, making it difficult,` he said.

To improve income, Wasa set a recovery target of Rs2.371 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25 from domestic and commercial consumers, but the actual recovery crossed Rs3 billion.

`In the last fiscal year 202324, the recovery target was Rs1.570 billion, against which Rs1.717 billion was collected.

However, in 2024-25, more than Rs3 billion was recovered in just 11 months, which is a significant achievement,` he said.

The MD said there were 134,681 consumers in the garrison city, of which 96,971 regularly paid their bills. Recovery teams had been tasked with ensuring that all consumers were brought into the paying category.

The improved recovery, he explained, was due to a newplan under which special revenue recovery teams were formed to recover arrears from chronic defaulters, both commercial and domestic, without discrimination.

`I have given a special taslc to the recovery teams to ensure 100 percent recovery of arrears from all defaulters, and no shortcomings in revenue recovery will be tolerated,` he said.

Wasa Rawalpindi has also launched operations against chronic defaulters. Senior Special Magistrate Wasa Rawalpindi, Aamir Ashfaq Qureshi, issued arrest warrants for five defaulters, including a resident of New Parian (Rs222,712), another of Raja Sultan locality (Rs425,869) and three more residents of New Parian with dues of Rs189,853, Rs312,251, and Rs187,213, respectively.

The MD said defaulters hadbeen repeatedly sent notices to pay their dues, but after their continued non-payment, arrest warrants were finally issued.

He also directed revenue officials to disconnect water connections of all defaulters immediately.

Defaulters have been given a final chance to clear their arrears.

After this, late fees and installment options will be withdrawn, and further action will include attachment of property, arrests, and shutdown of water and sewerage services.

The MD appealed to consumers to prove themselves responsible citizens by paying their dues on time. He expressed determination that the crackdown would continue until the last defaulter was brought into compliance, adding that no pressure would be tolerated in this regard.