City officials have decided to initiate the construction of two small dams, Shahdara and Chiniot, to address the ongoing water shortage in Islamabad. Starting Thursday, water supply from Simly Dam to Islamabad will also be increased by eight million gallons per day (mgd).
Islamabad, a rapidly growing city, relies on outdated water sources and reservoirs, which are insufficient to meet its current demands. The overall water requirement for Islamabad, including both rural and urban areas, is approximately 250 mgd, with the city’s needs estimated at 120 mgd. Currently, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) supplies around 70 mgd from three main sources: Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, and tubewells.
Simly Dam is currently providing 26 mgd (set to increase to 34 mgd), Khanpur Dam contributes about nine mgd, and tubewells along with other minor sources supply the remainder.
During a meeting on the water issue, CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa directed immediate work on Shahdara, Tarbela, Chiniot, and Khanpur dams to permanently resolve the water problem. The Chiniot Dam will be constructed in the catchment area of Simly Dam, while Shahdara Dam will be built on the Shahdara stream.
Additionally, a CDA press release indicated that work on the Khanpur Dam and Ghazi Barotha project should commence immediately. It was revealed during the meeting that around 40% of the water from Khanpur Dam is stolen before reaching Islamabad’s water reservoir at Sangjani water works.
Chairman Randhawa expressed frustration over the water theft and instructed that a proposal be submitted to address this issue by coordinating with Wapda and other organizations.
The meeting also discussed the Ghazi Barotha project, which was proposed in 2007 to provide 100 mgd to Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Initially estimated at Rs37 billion, the project cost increased to Rs77 billion in 2017 and now exceeds Rs120 billion.
In preparation for the summer, the CDA chairman directed an additional eight mgd water supply from Simly Dam to the citizens daily and to increase the duration of water supply in densely populated areas. He also ordered that all staff leaves for the water supply wing be canceled, and the tanker service be on high alert round the clock. All pipeline leakage complaints should be addressed immediately.
Moreover, a proposal for installing solar systems at water pumping stations is to be submitted within three days to divert the significant energy costs to other city development projects.
