ISLAMABAD: The residents of the capital are likely to face a further cut in the water supply from next week as the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) takes measures to save more water until the monsoon season.

According to a source in the MCI, the supply from Simly Dam was likely to be further reduced from the current 24 million gallon per day (mgd) to 19 mgd.

“Water level in the Simly Dam is shrinking by two inches per day. It has become necessary to save water to have sufficient supply in the summer,” said the source, which manages water supply and controls and develops water sources.

The approved water supply from the Simly Dam is about 36 mgd. However, about a month ago the supply from the reservoir was cut to 24 mgd.

The city managers draw extra 10 to 12 mgd of water from Khanpur Dam.

Other sources of water supply to Islamabad are tubewells.

Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad says water conservation necessary to meet requirements until the monsoon season

According to Chief Metropolitan Officer Asad Kiani, Islamabad’s total demand for water is around 114 mgd.

“At present, we are supplying between 55 mgd and 60 mgd against the usual 70 mgd.

“Cutting water supply has become necessary to save water until July when the monsoon season begins and rains fill the dams again,” said Mr Kiani.

During the last about a decade with the urban sprawl expanding towards the GT Road and the new Islamabad airport, no steps were taken to meet the rising water demand.

“The Chirah Dam is no longer viable and has been shelved. However, work is underway to bring water from Ghazi Barotha to meet the rising demand in the twin cities.

“The PC-1 of the pipeline project will be ready in a month. After the project is completed, the twin cities will be getting 200 mgd for the next 15 years,” said Mr Kiani.

Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Syed Abu Akif recently warned that Pakistan had moved from a water-affluent country to a water-stressed state due the increase in demand, and not from the effects of global warming.

Impacts of climate change would most likely also cause water shortages in the future, he added.

“However, it is in fact the six-time increase in the population since 1951 which now demands more water than there is available, coupled with misuse, wastage and poor management of the precious resource,” said Mr Akif.

Pakistan Environment Protection Agency Director General Farzana Altaf Shah also suggested controlling water boring.

She proposed that it was about time the CDA started charging households for consuming underground water to prevent its wastage.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2017