Steps being taken to address water scarcity issues in Islamabad

The water scarcity in Islamabad has become a pressing issue in recent years due to various factors.

The current population of Islamabad is 1.11 million with a water demand of approximately 120 million gallons per day (mgd). However, the maximum available water supply is only 80 mgd.

The resulting shortage of about 40 mgd is being addressed through rationing, water tankers, and private consumer boring.

The major source of water supply in Islamabad are as under:

Simly Dam                        = 34 mgd

Khanpur Dam                    = 9.6 mgd

Rawal Dam                        = 2.0 mgd

201 Tube Wells                  = 32 mgd

04 Water Works                 = 1.7 mgd

Total                                  = 80 mgd

The following steps have been taken by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) as short term measures to address water scarcity issues in Islamabad;

• Rehabilitation of existing outlived water supply network and repair of numerous leakages (major and minor) at various locations, saving about 8-10 mg water.
• 36 new Tube Wells have been installed.
• 02 mgd supplies from Rawal Dam have been restored for Islamabad after about 25 years.
• Installation of about 95 drinking water filtration plants in Islamabad.
• A pilot project Rainwater Harvesting for Ground Water Recharge 100 Recharge Wells have been constructed to preserve the rain water which will be implemented at household level to control the depletion of the ground water table.

The CDA Board has approved the proposal of conducting prefeasibility studies through WAPDA for the following projects to augment the existing water supply:

• Dotara Carryover Dam upstream of Khanpur Dam.
• Shandra Dam in ICT on a tributary of Korang River.
• Chinot Carryover Dam upstream of Simly Dam.
• Improvements in existing supplies from Khanpur Dam.

Furthermore, hiring of consultants for feasibility studies to explore groundwater recharge in Islamabad has also been approved by the CDA-DWP.

A project regarding “Conduction of Water from Indus River System at Tarbela Dam for Islamabad & Rawalpind” has been initiated by the CDA for developing a perennial source of potable water supply to meet the present as well as future water demand of the Twin Cities.