Islamabad: The Supreme Court has directed all the provinces and federations to prepare a draft law to decide the price of underground water within four weeks, according to the news sources.
The court has also ordered Managing Director of Water and Sanitation Management Agency (WASA) to submit proposals for saving water.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial presided over the suo-moto case on underground water. Justice Bandial said that the court should be kept in the loop with the progress of the legislature. Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that only a few points like money transfer in water tax accounts, flow meter installations, and similar projects like those initiated in Faisalabad and other districts, are the only ones that needed legislation, and that the SC would like to know the progress made on these fronts.
In response, the Advocate General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the court that detailed meetings to draft a law for the imposition of water tax have already been held.
The Advocate General of Sindh said that the provincial government has given its proposals on the subject to the attorney general, and that the Sindh government would adhere to the draft of the federal government.
The Advocate General of Punjab informed the court that the province had installed water meters in all its industries.
The counsel for WASA presented its claim that companies have stopped depositing charges on water products by misinterpreting a court order of the SC, which declared that only 25% of the bill needed to be deposited. Justice Ahsan replied that the water charges would be applicable on all beverages, and the companies who only paid 25% of the bill would have the remaining amount adjusted in their final bill.
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