Residents of Union Council 31 in Rawalpindi staged a protest against the supply of dirty and contaminated water through WASA lines, demanding the immediate suspension of the MD WASA. The demonstration highlighted growing frustration over repeated water quality failures and perceived administrative negligence.
Protesters raised slogans such as ‘We reject the rules of injustice’ and ‘We reject the supply of dirty water’, calling for removal of what they described as an incompetent MD WASA. The focus on dirty water and accountability dominated the gathering as locals voiced health and hygiene concerns.
Zaheer Ahmed Awan, chairman of the Citizen Action Committee, said WASA had continued to collect bills even after suspending supply for a week. He added that only after residents protested and the Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell intervened did WASA officials reluctantly replace a tube well motor and briefly restore water, but dirty and contaminated water has flowed through supply lines for the past three days.
Awan said households had incurred expenses of around Rs. 20,000 to clean home water tanks because the supplied water was muddy and foul-smelling. Despite repeated complaints to WASA, residents said no effective action was taken to address the persistent contamination.
Following the protest, residents accompanied by Councillor Haji Naseer and Zaheer Awan went to the WASA office at 12 noon to formally register their complaint, only to find the MD WASA and other officials absent. Residents questioned where they should turn when responsible officers are not present during duty hours.
The demonstrators urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to take immediate steps to ensure the supply of clean water and to suspend the MD WASA. The protest was also addressed by Councillor Haji Naseer Bhatti, Waheed Rajab Khan, and Abdul Rehman Mama Munna, who echoed calls for accountability and a swift resolution to the dirty water crisis.
