Despite a survey carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the Punjab government’s small dam in Dhoke Sandaymar, Sector D-17, no effective measures have been taken to stop sewage inflows. The unchecked discharge from nearby housing schemes has turned the once-clean reservoir into a foul-smelling sludge pond.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a task force to safeguard small dams in and around the federal capital from pollution. However, residents say no progress has been made on protecting Sandaymar Dam.
“The water body has been reduced to sludge covered with green algae, spreading a terrible stench and making life miserable for surrounding communities,” said Akhtar Shah, a local resident.
An aerial survey by the Punjab government a few years ago revealed that large drains from Tarnol, about five kilometers away, along with sewage from multiple housing societies, emptied into the dam.
“Not long ago, the dam was full of fish and auctions were held every two years for contractors to harvest them. Today, there’s not a single fish left because the water is so polluted,” said Asad Abbas, another resident.
Built in the mid-1990s, Sandaymar Dam was originally designed for irrigation and later supported fish farming. Locals say pollution has not only destroyed its ecological balance but also put public health at risk.
Sandaymar is not the only affected reservoir. Other dams within Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including Rawal Dam, are also reportedly facing contamination, threatening both communities and biodiversity.
Following complaints, the Punjab Small Dams Organisation (SDO) wrote to the CDA chairman, holding the civic body responsible for failing to protect the water body. In a formal letter, the SDO’s Circle-I Islamabad project director warned that untreated sewage from settlements as far as Tarnol was being discharged into the dam’s catchment area.
“The polluted inflows are making the lake unfit for irrigation and aquaculture. Beyond that, the pond also plays a critical role in replenishing underground water, which is now under threat,” the letter noted.
The SDO identified several contributors to the contamination, including Tarnol, Moosa Town, Iqra Colony, Saifia Town, Pind Parian, Ratti Kassi, Ittefaq Colony, Mohalla Farooq-i-Azam (Sarai Kharbooza), Cabinet Division Employees Cooperative Housing Society (E-16, E-17), and Roshan Pakistan Cooperative Housing Society (E-16).
In response, the CDA said it had completed an initial survey of the area on the directives of the PM’s task force. Using satellite mapping, the authority identified both planned and unplanned settlements responsible for sewage discharge.
A CDA spokesperson said the authority was examining technical and logistical solutions to collect and treat wastewater while considering environmental and site-specific challenges. To devise a long-term plan, the CDA has engaged consultants to design sewage treatment infrastructure for the area.
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