In a recent notification from the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), the federal capital’s residents are now required to pay taxes for utilizing bore water. The tax amount will be determined by the horsepower of the boring motor.
Due to the water scarcity in various parts of Islamabad, residents are increasingly resorting to borewells to meet their water requirements.
Previously, citizens weren’t taxed for accessing and utilizing government-owned underground water. However, the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad has now introduced a tax on the usage of underground water via borewells.
As per the notification, revised water charges will now be implemented across different categories, based on the horsepower of the boring motor utilized.
If a half-horsepower motor is used with a one-inch pipe bored, households will be charged Rs. 1000 per month.
Households using underground water through a 2-horsepower motor and 2-inch pipe will be charged Rs. 2,500 per month, while commercial users will be charged Rs. 4,000 per month under the new regulations.
Domestic users utilizing an 8 to 15-horsepower motor and 3-inch pipe to extract underground water through boring will face a charge of Rs. 10,000 per month. The commercial users will be charged a fee of Rs. 15,000 per month.
Domestic users employing a 15 to 30-horsepower motor and a 4-inch pipe will face a charge of 20,000 rupees, while commercial users will be charged 25,000 rupees.
Under the MCI’s notification, households utilizing a 40 to 50-horsepower motor and a 6-inch pipe will face a monthly charge of Rs. 50,000, whereas commercial users will be charged Rs 75,000 per month.
Domestic users with a 70 to 100 horsepower motor and an 8-inch pipe will face a fee of Rs. 1 lac, while commercial clients will be charged Rs. 1 lac 50 thousand per month.
For those with a 140 to 160 horsepower motor and 9-inch pipes, domestic charges amount to Rs. 2 lac, while commercial users will be billed Rs. 3 lac monthly.
What government owned water? What about the land ownership? The land owners own everything on the plot… including the water… whats next? Taxing the air we breath… by saying… government owned air?
how does the underground water belongs to the govt? aik to ye incompetent khud water supply ensure nhe kr sky aur jo log khid bore kr rhe hn unse b paise
This will increase already high private water tanker charges and also bore tax would be charged irrespective of either bore produce water or not. Dumb and duffer Government don’t think about providing water to its citizens through water supply lines, but making the life even harder.
This government is completely out of senses. It is responsibility of the government to provide clean, hygienic and constant water supply to the citizens of the country. Getting this kind of water is a fundamental right of the people as also enshrined in the constitution. Rather than fulfilling it’s obligation, the government is penalising the public through taxes. Boring and it’s maintenance require a lot of money. People are resorting to boring simply because there is either no or insufficient supply of water. The Supreme Court should take notice of this move by the government.
This step by the government is just like making the people buy gas in cylinders at a higher price. It is again the government’s responsibility to provide piped gas to households. However, rather than doing that, the government continues to increase the price of gas in cylinders.
I wonder if someone can thrust these facts into this government’s brain.
First lift all free services from Elite like Petrol, Electric ، Security, Employee, Fares, etc etc Than plan to tax poor people of Pakistan
بہت اچھا اقدام ہے اس سے لوگ زیر زمین پانی کو ضائع نہیں کریں گے…. ھمارے گاوں شہباز پور تحصیل پنڈیگھیب ضلع اٹک میں…. لوگوں کو بہت سمجھاتا ھوں پھر بھی پانی ضائع کرتے ہیں… ایسے لوگوں کے خلاف قانونی کارروائی ھونی چاہیے
If CDA is able to ensure and supply tab water as per basic scale, most will not be spending money to go for boreing .. fact is that many houses do not have water supply at all for about three years…. how should they live without supply if water.. Another fact is CDA Water supply staff is corrupt to the core.. they ensure tab water regular supply to those who pay them directly
CDA is acting like Sheriff of Nottingham in collecting taxes, what next tax on breathing air/oxygen….
Underground water is really a precious possession and unfortunately it is wasted a lot by the houses having boring.
But this measure by CDA is just useless because there is no way how to check if a house has a boring. Bigger houses have bores inside their premises which cannot be detected.
Banana republic of pakistan..
When the administration of Islamabad not providing water to the people what they do? To Purchase/Promote tanker Mafia