RAWALPINDI, Jan 27: Water supply to the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has been reduced to half, owing to the depletion of water level in the Khanpur Dam, sources told Dawn.

Previously, the RCB used to get its share of 7.5 MGD, which has been reduced to 3.5 MGD.

To overcome the shortage, the civic body has started rationing of water and asked the residents to use it judiciously and only for human consumption.

The areas which have been hit hard because of the 50 percent reduction in water supply include Westridge 1, 2, 3, Aliabad, Allabad, Misrial Road, Peshawar Road (lanes 1-7), Tench Batta, Allama Iqbal Colony, Kamalabad, Dhoke Syedan Chowk.

Some tubewells exist in these areas, but these are not sufficient to fulfil the needs of the thickly populated localities.

The water level in tubewells has also gone down owing to the long dry spell, an RCB official said.

The water shortage was likely to worsen, if the drought-like situation continues for long, the RCB director (water supply), Col Abdur Rehman (retired) said.

“Therefore, we have started rationing the commodity and people should completely avoiding washing of houses or cars.

“The situation can improve only when there are sustained rains,” he added.

He said the rains would solve the problem only on temporary basis. In order to permanently solve the issue, the government should make a plan to supply water to the city from Ghazi Barotha Dam, he added.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has disconnected power supply to all the five tubewells and two water works of the cantonment board in Gawalmandi, owing to a dispute over payment between the two bodies.

All the tubewells and water works remained closed causing suspension in water supply for the whole day, but electricity was restored in the evening and the tubewells went into operation.

The power was restored only at the intervention of some high-ranking military officials.