RAWALPINDI: Water supply from Khanpur Dam to Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been reduced following commencement of desilting work on Wednesday.

The irrigation department will carry out desilting of the 11 kilometre canal that starts from the dam and goes up to the Sangjani filtration plant till February 4.

 As a result, supply for Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has been reduced from nine million gallons per day (MGD) to 6MGD, for Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) from 6MGD to 4MGD and for Capital Development Authority (CDA) from 9MGD to 6MGD.

Supply to many areas was cut after desilting work began on Wednesday

The civic bodies have also started water rationing in their respective areas to deal with the water shortage. Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood told Dawn that eight union councils in the garrison city were getting water from Khanpur Dam.

These include Dhoke Hassu, Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai, Fauji Colony and Railway Carriage Factory.

He said water rationing would be carried out in the affected areas, however, supply from tubewells would continue as per schedule.

He said the agency would provide water but the residents should ensure that they use the commodity judiciously.

In the cantonment area, the RCB started water rationing in areas along Peshawar Road including Kohinoor Mills, Aliabad, Siham, Allahabad, Westridge and Gulshan-i-Nayyab.

Mohammad Israr, a resident of Misrial Road, said: “Supply to their area was already limited, and with the rationing, they would be getting even less water.”  

He said when water supply during winter was so limited, one can imagine how it would be during summer, adding that the government should improve the water supply system.

Attique Ahmed, a resident of Afshan Colony, said the civic body was supplying water every alternative day.

Meanwhile, some localities around Benazir Bhutto International Airport, including Airport Housing Society, Gulzar-i-Quaid and Khanna East and West were also facing water shortage as the main supply line near Koral Chowk was damaged during work on a pedestrian bridge over Islamabad Expressway.

“The water supply line was damaged due to the construction work but we will repair it within a day,” said Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood.

He said water was being supplied to Gulzar-i-Quaid and its adjoining areas from four tubewells installed at Ghauri Town.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2015

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