ISLAMABAD: A protest was staged outside the offices of the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) chairman against the shortage of water in the federal capital.

The protest was led by PTI MNA Asad Umar, who criticised the government and CDA for not meeting the city’s requirements.

He said the CDA management was following in the footsteps of the ruling party and was spending money on the construction of bridges and roads while residents of Islamabad were being deprived of water.

“A new dam should be established for the residents of Islamabad,” he demanded, adding that of 35 water tankers, only 14 were being used which is an indicator of how serious CDA is about addressing the needs of the residents of the city.

CDA has been supplying the city with 50 million gallons of water every day when it needs 150 million gallons a day, he added.

Also speaking at the protest was PTI’s nominated opposition leader in the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation Ali Awan who warned that if the CDA did not address water shortage, PTI will lay siege to the civic authority’s buildings.

“We have been asking the CDA for many months now to resolve the water issue but they are not taking the matter seriously,” he said.

Those areas which were supplied water through tubewells were the most affected, he said, adding that CDA had explained away the problem by saying that shortage was due to increased loadshedding.

“If power supply is causing the problem, then CDA should invest in generators,” he said.

An official from the water directorate said more that 110 million gallons of water was available from existing sources and that a large quantity of that water is lost due to leaks in underground pipes.

“We have to plug in the leaks in supply pipes and also consider bringing in water from the Indus River system of Tarbela Dam for a permanent solution,” he said.

The official added that Islamabad can be provided with 100 million gallons of water a day if water is brought in from the Indus River. At present, the city is provided water from Simly and Khanpur dams and tubewells.

Meanwhile, CDA issued a press release in which it said that city managers have increased water supply to 74 million gallons a day to meet the increased demand.

The statement says that in a meeting on Friday, Member Engineering Shahid Sohail had informed board members that Iesco has also been taken on board and that loadshedding timings will be adjusted so that tube wells can operate.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016