In a recent notice issued by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), residents of the federal capital are now required to pay taxes for using bore water.
This decision comes as a response to the increasing water scarcity in various parts of Islamabad, leading more people to rely on borewells for their water needs. Unlike before, when citizens didn’t have to pay to access government-owned underground water, the MCI has introduced a tax on using underground water via borewells.
According to the new regulations, revised water charges will be applied based on the horsepower of the boring motor utilized. The MCI’s notification outlines different tax rates for various categories, depending on the horsepower of the boring motor and the size of the pipe used.
For instance, households using a half-horsepower motor with a one-inch pipe will now be charged Rs. 1000 per month. Those using a 2-horsepower motor and a 2-inch pipe will face a monthly charge of Rs. 2,500, while commercial users will be charged Rs. 4,000 per month.
For domestic users employing an 8 to 15-horsepower motor and a 3-inch pipe, the monthly fee will be Rs. 10,000. Meanwhile, commercial users in the same category will face a charge of Rs. 15,000 per month.
The charges increase with the size of the motor and pipe, with fees ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 3 lac per month for domestic users and from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 3 lac for commercial users, depending on the horsepower of the motor and the size of the pipe