Islamabad: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is preparing a summary to seek federal approval for an increase in water and sanitation charges in Islamabad, marking the first proposed revision in nearly eight years.
According to CDA officials, the authority has completed a public hearing on the proposed revision after receiving the board’s in-principle approval last year. The proposal is now expected to be forwarded to the federal government for consideration.
Officials said the existing tariffs recover only around 20% of the actual cost of providing water and sewerage services, with the remaining 80% effectively subsidised by the civic agency. They argued that the current charges are significantly lower than those of other water and sanitation agencies in the country.
Under the existing tariff structure, households with a monthly water consumption of 1,000 gallons are charged PKR 16. Government-owned houses in categories A, B and C pay PKR 96 per month, while D-category houses are charged PKR 124. Owners of private houses measuring up to 250 square yards pay PKR 228 per month, while those with plots ranging from 500 to 999 square yards pay PKR 280.
The proposed revision also includes an increase in water connection charges.
The move comes as Islamabad continues to face a widening gap between water supply and demand. The CDA currently supplies about 70 million gallons of water per day against an estimated daily requirement of more than 220 million gallons. Water shortages are particularly acute during the summer, while declining groundwater levels have increased reliance on private water tankers in several areas.
Officials said the CDA is also pursuing plans to develop two new dams and advance the Ghazi Barotha water supply project to improve the capital’s long-term water availability.
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