LAHORE: Keeping in view the increasing electricity bills, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has decided to shift its entire offices in Lahore to solar power from the existing electric infrastructure.

“Since there is a massive hike in the power bills, which are causing immense financial burden on Wasa, it’s time to shift to solar power in a bid to save the money incurring on payment of exorbitant bills. Therefore, we must switch over to solar power under a phased manner,” Wasa managing director Ghufran Ahmad said while presiding over a meeting here on Saturday.

“All offices (head office, offices of directors, executive engineers, SDOs etc) should be switched over to solar power gradually at the earliest and a viable proposal must be submitted within the next few days by the officers concerned,” he added.

Talking about the city’s ongoing weather situation, he directed the officers to ensure carrying out water sprinkling at all development projects with a view to minimising negative impact of the smog on the public health.

The MD also sought strict action against all those involved in extracting underground water unlawfully. “FIRs must be registered against such people,” he added.

PLANTATION: Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali, while presiding over a meeting on Saturday, directed the Park and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to start tree plantation and horticulture work on the roads (Ravi Road, Niaz Chowk, Bhatti Chowk) and Bund Road from Shahdra to Babu Sabu.

He also asked PHA to start horticulture work around all projects to be completed within this month. He said the Badamai Bagh Lorry Adda restructuring plan must be finalised within the next few days. The commissioner also sought launching crackdown on all those involved in taking out sand from the Ravi project area.

OPERATION: The LDA on Saturday issued a notice to a well-known 196-kanal country club located on Raiwind Road for non-payment of commercialisation fees.

The club is defaulter of Rs1.41bn to LDA in terms of commercialisation fee. In the notice, the LDA has directed the club owners to pay the fee within five days.

“In case of non-payment of the commercialisation fee, not only the club will be sealed, purchase and sale of the property will also be banned,” it warns.

LESCO: Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) on the 57th day of anti-power theft campaign detected on Saturday another 261 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts -- Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara.

According to a spokesman, the company also submitted FIR applications against 260 electricity thieves, out of which 173 FIRs have been registered with respective police stations and 17 people arrested.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2023