Provincial Minister PHE directs to fully restore water supply from Mangi dam to Quetta by Dec.
Provincial Minister PHE directs to fully restore water supply from Mangi dam to Quetta by Dec.
Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran emphasizes all tube wells of wells must be converted to solar system under all circumstances
QUETTA: The Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) and WASA, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran has directed the concerned authorities to fully restore the water supply from Mangi Dam to Quetta city by December 2025.
He stated that the amount of water currently being provided to the public is insufficient, and the expected revenue is also not being generated.
Expressing concern over rising electricity costs, the Minister PHE emphasized that all WASA tube wells must be converted to a solar system under all circumstances.
The Minister ordered strict action against absent employees in the department.
Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran was chairing meeting of Board of Directors (BoDs) of WASA here on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Public Health Engineering (PHE) Imran Gichki, Additional Secretary Planning & Development, Waqar uz Zaman Kayani, Station Commander Quetta Brigade Kamran Sarwar, WASA Director Naseebullah, Additional Deputy Commissioner Quetta, Administrator of the Metropolitan Corporation, and other senior officials.
The meeting was held to review key issues related to WASA Quetta, during which the budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 was also presented.
During the meeting, a 15% increase in pensions for retired employees was approved along with the appointment of police personnel to WASA on deputation.
He expressed concern that the department is neither supplying adequate water to the public nor generating the expected revenue.
The provincial minister added that globally, development projects are shifting to solar energy, and similar initiatives will be undertaken in Balochistan.
During the meeting, it was decided to immediately begin work on the outsourcing and solarization of the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). Approval was also granted for the auctioning of WASA’s dead stock and obsolete equipment.
Minister Khetran emphasized improving departmental performance and stated that the work that takes months should be completed in days so that revenue increases and citizens receive better services.
It was also agreed in the meeting that if ad-hoc relief is being given to employees of other boards, WASA employees should receive the same benefit.
Sardar Khetran strongly criticized the tanker mafia noting that citizens are forced to buy water from private tankers at exorbitant rates at around Rs. 3,000 per tanker, while avoiding payment of government dues.
WASA’s Managing Director informed the meeting that many residents in certain areas of the city are unaware of water bills.
The PHE Secretary Imran Gichki on the occasion proposed that WASA launch bottled water under a Public-Private Partnership model, noting that the department has high-quality water treatment plants that can support this initiative.
