RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has demanded of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) , and the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) to introduce management information system (MIS) in a bid to strengthen their working, official sources said.

MIS is a system of people, hardware, software, database, telecommunications and procedures that could configure, manipulate, store and process the data of these civic agencies into information. Besides, it would help the organizations efficiently manage their human and capital resources and raw materials.

The demand has been made by Nespak, a state-run engineering and consultative organization which is conducting a technical study on behalf of the bank prior to the implementation of the forthcoming ABD-funded Rawalpindi environmental improvement project, the sources added.

"One of the basic objectives of MIS is to provide correct information to the authorised person at the right time, right place and right cost."

The sources said Nespak had also demanded the district government to establish its own website providing all information and statistics about Wasa, TMA, RDA and even the cantonment board. The website should also facilitate online consultancy reports and other literature of interest to the public.

Nespak has expressed concern over the limited and untrained staff at Wasa. The sources said the total sanctioned strength of Wasa was 1321, of which 45 per cent posts were lying vacant.

Only 1 per cent of the staff was in grade 17 and above, while about 16 per cent were in grade 1 to 16. Similarly, about 83 per cent of the sanctioned staff were in grade 1 to 15, who had been assigned operational, maintenance and other field duties.

The sources said that lack of training adversely affected the performance of Wasa, which has failed to redress the complaints of its consumers. Besides, the number of legal and on-record water connections given by Wasa to its consumers was 75,000, of which 70,000 were domestic. However, the tariff recovery of the agency was only 55 per cent of the target.

The sources said Nespak had also showed concern over the overlapping roles of TMA, Wasa and RDA after the implementation of the Local Government Ordinance 2001. The overlapping functions included building control, provision, operation and maintenance of water supply, sewerage and storm water drainage.

The sources said Wasa was currently responsible for water supply and sewerage for the areas under the jurisdiction of the defunct Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation while the TMA had a similar role for the rural areas of the tehsil besides at a small scale it was also involved in water supply and related activities in the city areas.

Similarly, the storm water drainage of the city was the responsibility of the TMA as it had the related equipment and staff. While Wasa had also performed the same function during the recently completed ADB-funded Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project by establishing two major interceptor drainage systems - one from 7th Road to Nullah Leh via Commercial Market, which discharged near Pirwadhai and other from Afendy Colony towards Kurang River via airport and Shah Faisal Colony diverting part of the flow of Kasi East (drainage system) and storm water of Muslim Town, Khurram Colony, etc.

The sources said for efficiency and better coordination, Nespak had demanded the control of sewerage, drainage and urban waste management under one agency.