Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee, headed by the Interior Minister, to oversee a mega water supply project for Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, in response to a call-attention notice by Anjum Aqeel Khan regarding the dangerously low water table in the capital, he explained that the underground water level in Islamabad, which stood at 10 meters in 1960, has now dropped to over 120 meters. He attributed this alarming decline to rapid population growth and urban expansion.
The capital requires approximately 120 million gallons of water daily, but the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is currently supplying only 60 million gallons—meeting 90 percent of urban and just 15-20 percent of rural water needs. He said a mega water project is essential to bridge this gap adding that a feasibility study is already underway.
He further informed the house that, in a bid to raise groundwater levels, CDA has revised its building by-laws, making rainwater harvesting mandatory for all new residential and commercial constructions. Soak wells are being installed to ensure that rainwater seeps into the ground, and the practice of groundwater extraction through boring is being actively discouraged.
To address the shortfall, treated water from Sangjani and water tankers from Khanpur are being used. He revealed that residents of a 10-marla house pay Rs. 192 per month for water, while those living in one-kanal houses are charged Rs. 280—rates that cover only half the actual cost of supply.
Highlighting the situation in rural areas, he said the government has launched 44 water supply schemes worth billions of rupees, but only 12 are currently operational. The remaining projects are hindered by issues such as faulty motors or unpaid electricity bills.
Meanwhile, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry noted that water supply remains limited to urban parts of Islamabad, leaving over 1.2 million people in rural areas without regular access. He said the government is working to address this imbalance, with plans underway for the construction of small dams in Shahdara, Chirah, and parts of Rawalpindi.
“We are committed to resolving this crisis during our term in office,” he said.
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Dams are going to be a costly (but commission-friendly) way to build water reservoirs – the smart thing to do would be to replenish the water table through percolation pits. This would also avoid additional cost of expanding sewerage and drainage.
Government is usable and nonserious to resolve the urban areas. Whereas bahria twon become a model of urban society but the current government is going to spoil it.
Agree
It is unfortunate that CDA is not giving factually correct picture to the MOI. CDA only supply water to Zone 1, rest of the zones are heavily dependent on subsurface ground water which is depleting rapidly. Similarly, DHA has its own water supply plans. Building small dams is wishful thinking as cost of land very high.
Every year lot of monsoon season water goes into Nullah Swan which was a river.
With mushrooms growth of housing society and cutting of trees increased the temperature of Rawalpindi Islamabad this year.
A mass water is required for twin cities.So,early building of small dam is need of the hour.
Small Dams and rain water harvesting are need of the hour and must be built irrespective of cost effects. Just imagine the cost of tankers being paid daily to water mafia. I think we should support small dams. Plus big dams like Kalabagh should be immediately made but our politicians especially PTI doesn’t want to invest in infrastructure because they have bigger plans just in their minds with zero delivery
For Islamabad the best option is to level outer lawns with roads, just like DHA or other housing societies in Lahore, to recharge ground water, avoid urban flooding and wide roads for personal car parking and to divert rainwater and make recharge wells in all commercials(markaz) and ponds in all parks and lake in F9 park and develop the Jinnah stream for storage of clean water