16 May 2004	Sunday	25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

PESHAWAR, May 15: The NWFP government is weighing options to meet the drinking water requirements of the provincial metropolis that will go up to 60 million gallons (MG) per day over the next two decades, officials said.

Sources in the Services and Works Department (S&WD) said that the executing body was assessing two major options, either to improve the city's existing potable water supply system or utilize the water from River Kabul from the Warsak Dam through an underground canal system.

The provincial government has assigned the task to the S&WD to prepare feasibility study for the improvement of water supply from River Kabul at Warsak Dam as PC-II of the project has been completed by the concerned bodies. The idea was floated in 1998 by the then government, but the plan was put into cold storage.

An amount of Rs20 million has been earmarked in the annual development programme for the fiscal year 2003-04 for the feasibility study of the proposed water supply scheme from Warsak Dam. Consultancy of the project would be under taken soon, officials said.

According to the PC-II of the project, water supply from Warsak Dam could be comparatively more economical and holds great potential to fulfil the future drinking water requirements of the city.

Tentative cost of the project has been estimated at Rs855 million, whereas its operation and maintenance cost would be around Rs132 million per annum. Officials estimated that about 60 MG water could be supplied from the Warsak Dam per day.

According to the plan, the water will be carried from the Warsak Dam partly through gravity flow and partly through pumping. Length of the proposed canal between the Warsak reservoir, north of Peshawar, and the main distribution point will be around 36 kilometres.

But, the officials pointed out two main apprehensions about the proposed project, first a plan of the Afghanistan government to build a reservoir on River Kabul upstream Warsak Dam with the assistance of India and, secondly, the shortage of water for irrigation purpose.

They said that normally approximately 450 cusec feet water flows into the River Kabul of which 111 cusec feet water could be obtained for the proposed project. However, a source quoting the irrigation department officials said that it would create shortage of water for irrigation purpose in catchment areas.

A senior functionary of the city district government said that after completing the feasibility study, the government would negotiate with the foreign donors including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to finance the project.

Data compiled by S&WD shows that the city is being supplied up to 31.68 million gallons of drinking water per day - 28.08 MG through 260 tubewells and 3.6 MG from Pishtakhara water supply scheme originating from Bara river in Khyber Agency.

The existing drinking water shortfall in the city is 4.32 MG per day and it could reach to 28.32 MG per day in the next two decades if the government does not explore alternative resources, according to the official estimates.

The officials said that about 70 tubewells had completed their useful life as maximum life of a tubewell is from 15 to 20 years.

An official said that many old tubewells discharged sand with water resulting in low life of pumps. Besides, distribution system was not in control of the management which resulted in wastage of large quantity of drinking water, which caused shortage in many parts of the city, particularly in summer.

According to the S&WD, the city requires 40 additional tubewells to fulfil the current shortfall of 4.32 MG per day, while 262 more tubewells would have to be installed till 2024.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his referendum campaign had announced a package to provide 200 tubewells to resolve the city's drinking water problem. But the package has not yet materialized.

The city district government pays Rs8.6 million per month as electricity charges to Wapda for operating 260 tubewells and the cost would exceed Rs16.18 million by the year 2024 if proper arrangements were not made to resolve the issue.