This picture taken on December 14, 2017 shows a man filling bottles at a water filtration plant in Islamabad. More than two-thirds of households drink bacterially contaminated water and, every year, 53,000 Pakistani children die of diarrhea after drinking it, says UNICEF. In 2012 the World Bank, which has warned that "substantial investments are needed to improve sanitation", estimated that water pollution costs Pakistan 5.7 billion USD, or nearly four percent of GDP. / AFP PHOTO / Farooq NAEEM / TO GO WITH: Pakistan-environment-water-pollution-social-health, FOCUS by Joris FIORITI
A severe water crisis is looming over Islamabad as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) faces critical shortages and operational breakdowns in its water supply infrastructure.
Sources say the CDA Water Supply Directorate has only one month’s chlorine stock remaining, raising fears that water supply may be halted altogether by next month.
The situation is further worsened by the CDA’s failure to clear last year’s payment for a chlorine supply tender floated in June. As a result, contractors have refused to continue chlorinating the water. Without chlorine treatment, the water supply poses serious health risks, and service disruption appears imminent if no emergency measures are taken.
The city’s existing water infrastructure is already in a state of collapse. Out of a total of 300 tube wells operated by the CDA, 205 are reported to be out of service, with many beyond repair. Sources add that the CDA has defaulted on over Rs. 100 million in payments related to tube well maintenance over the past year.
The CDA’s water tanker fleet is similarly crippled. Only 7 of the 32 water tankers are currently operational, two of which are reserved for VIP complaints.
Despite receiving nearly 1,000 daily complaints regarding water tankers, the authority remains unable to meet the demand. It has also failed to pay contractors over Rs. 50 million for tanker repair work carried out last year.
Residents of several major sectors, including I-8, I-9, I-10, I-14, F-6, F-7, F-8, F-10, G-6, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, Model Village, Margalla Town, Humak Town, and Rawal Town, are already experiencing severe shortages.
Many areas are now receiving water only once every three days, as the Water Supply Directorate struggles to keep the system running amid financial default and expired short-term contracts.
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