Qatar to introduce hefty fines for wasting water

Wasting or careless use of valuable water resources in Qatar could turn out be an expensive mistake in the near future as lawmakers are considering hefty penalties for wastefulness.

The Advisory Council yesterday recommended a fine of up to QR10,000 for wasteful use of drinking water for washing cars or cleaning the courtyard of houses or other buildings.

After studying the draft law, the council recommended that fine will be reduced to QR5,000 after reconciliation.

The draft law stipulates a fine of maximum QR20,000 and minimum QR10,000 for wasting water. The current law for waster of water stipulates a fine of QR4,000 and QR1,000 after reconciliation.

The Ministry of Energy and Industry said the connections of water and electricity has reached 64,000 in Qatar out of which 13 percent connections are of Qataris and rest are of expatriates. Wastage of water leads to wastage of money as water is subsidised in Qatar.

The ministry is keeping close watch on the wastage of water by private individuals and public institutions. Around 50 percent of the violators have approached authorities for reconciliation. The concerned department has caught 12,000 violations in the last two years.
To prevent wastage, automatic switches will be set up for external lighting of buildings and facilities according to conditions and specifications set by a decision of the chairman of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, according to the draft law.

The proposed amendments compliment a series of measures being taken by Kahramaa to rationalise consumption of water and electricity under its ongoing Tarsheed campaign.

The high consumption of water and electricity in Qatar remains an issue of concern despite several awareness campaigns to reduce wastage.

Kahramaa's Tarsheed campaign

Tarsheed is a national program started in 2012 to encourage residents to conserve and use water and electricity efficiently. The campaign slogan is "Keep Qatar Pulsing. Consume Wisely."

The campaign is also active throughout the month of Ramadan, trying to educate residents about the proper use of water through a series of animated videos.
Per capita consumption of electricity and water in Qatar is among the highest in the world. Its water consumption is more than 500 litres per person per day, more than three times the global average of 160+ litres.

 

Personally I couldn't dare to use drinking water in washing cars or use it for washing dishes. A lot of people are thirsty and dying to drink water and we are wasting it. Let's conserve water because water is life.