August 08, 2006	Tuesday	Rajab 12, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 7: The proposed plan to supply water to Rawalpindi and Islamabad from Ghazi Barotha hydle project is stated to be in the doldrums, as the Rawalpindi city district government has refused to share the cost of the project, sources in the CDA told Dawn on Monday.

The sources said that Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the city district government were pressurising the CDA to bear the cost to be incurred on study and laying of the pipeline for Rawalpindi city from a reservoir to be constructed near Shah Allah Ditta for supply of 100 million gallon per day.

However, the CDA was of the view that it could not provide water to Rawalpindi city from the proposed reservoir because it was located at a higher altitude and high pressure of water could burst the water supply network in Rawalpindi. “In view of this objection, the Rawalpindi city government had to lay a separate pipeline to get water from the proposed reservoir,” the sources said.

Initially, the project was planned only for Islamabad and a feasibility report was near completion when the city district government demanded its share in the project.

“If Rawalpindi were not included in the project, it could have been started in three months,” the sources said. They said the city district government had also to conduct a feasibility study to lay a separate conduction line from Nicholson Monument (Fateh Jang) to Rawalpindi city.

The CDA was preparing feasibility of the project during the recent acute water shortage before the starting of the monsoon season but now it had put the project on the low priority list.

The total requirement of water in Islamabad is stated to be 100 mgd per day and about 65 mgd per day is supplied through different sources.

The expected supply of water from Ghazi Barotha is stated to be sufficient to meet the requirements of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.