Rs36bn Dadocha Water Supply Project approved for Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has approved a Rs36 billion project for the construction of a surface water treatment plant and water supply system at Dadocha Dam, which will provide 35 million gallons of treated water per day to Rawalpindi.

According to the Housing Department, the project is scheduled for completion by December 2029 and is aimed at strengthening the city’s long-term drinking water supply through the development of a surface-water source, treatment facilities and distribution infrastructure.

The department said the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi would undertake construction of the water supply infrastructure, including the transmission line and distribution network needed to convey treated water from Dadocha Dam to the city once the reservoir becomes available.

Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal has appointed Sohail Aslam, Deputy Managing Director of WASA Rawalpindi, as Project Director of the Dadocha Dam Surface Water Treatment Plant and Water Supply System project. Mengal directed the project director to maintain close coordination with all relevant departments and agencies and closely monitor implementation. He stressed that the approved timelines must be strictly followed and all components of the project should proceed in a coordinated manner to ensure completion by December 2029.

The Housing Department said the addition of 35 million gallons of treated water daily would improve the reliability of Rawalpindi’s drinking water supply. The project has been approved in view of the city’s growing water requirements and the need for a sustainable source of potable water.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly directed the authorities to prioritise the provision of clean drinking water and expedite water-supply projects in areas facing shortages.

The department said the Dadocha project would provide the treatment and supply infrastructure required to utilise water from the dam for Rawalpindi’s municipal network, linking the surface-water source with the city’s transmission and distribution system.

The project is also expected to form part of broader efforts to upgrade Rawalpindi’s water and sanitation infrastructure under the Punjab government’s development programme.

Earlier, the provincial government had been working on a wider plan to upgrade Rawalpindi’s water supply and sewerage infrastructure, including the development of surface-water treatment facilities and expansion of the distribution network.

The approval of the Dadocha water supply project marks the latest step in the provincial government’s efforts to establish a reliable and sustainable drinking-water supply system for Rawalpindi.