City officials have resolved to commence the building of two minor dams, namely Shahdara and Chiniot, on Wednesday, aiming to tackle the water scarcity problem in Islamabad.
Furthermore, it was resolved that commencing Thursday, the daily water supply from Simly Dam to Islamabad would see an increase of eight million gallons (mgd). Despite its rapid urbanization, Islamabad continues to rely on antiquated water sources and reservoirs that are now insufficient to meet the city’s escalating water demand. The overall water necessity for Islamabad, encompassing both rural and urban regions, stands at approximately 250 million gallons daily (mgd), with the city’s exclusive requirement estimated at around 120 mgd.
Nevertheless, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) presently provides only about 70 mgd from its three primary sources: Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, and tubewells.
Currently, Simly Dam is providing 26 mgd (to be augmented to 34 mgd starting today), Khanpur Dam contributes approximately nine mgd, and the remaining water requirements are met through tube wells and supplementary minor sources.
Chairing a meeting regarding the water scarcity issue, CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa instructed the relevant department to immediately initiate construction efforts for Shahdara, Tarbela, Chiniot, and Khanpur dams as a permanent solution to the water crisis.
The location for the Chiniot Dam will be in the catchment area of Simly Dam, while the Shahdara Dam will be erected along the Shahdara stream.
