ISLAMABAD: The water level in three main reservoirs in the capital has risen with the start of the rainy season, but a visible difference could only be seen at Simly Dam.

Simly Dam has been the primary beneficiary of the recent 18 millimetres of rainfall in Murree on Wednesday, which caused the water level in the dam to rise by over 11ft.

By Thursday evening the water in Simly Lake had risen to 2,254ft from 2,233ft a few days ago. There is still a long way to go before the water level rises to the maximum height of 2,315ft.

Officials from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) posted at Simly Dam have expressed confidence that the water situation will improve in the future, as the monsoon has just begun. The situation at Khanpur and Rawal Dam, however, is not as encouraging.

“This is because of limited rainfall in the Haripur Hazara area and the Margalla Hills facing the Hazara district, as well as the places that feed Haro River,” an official posted at Khanpur Dam said.

The limited inflow has also had an affected the supply of water from Khanpur Dam to parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The water level at Khanpur Dam is currently 1,922ft, just 12ft above dead level.

Officials are worried that low rainfall in the catchments of Khanpur Dam and upstream Haro River in the past several years is due to the impact of climate change.

The water in Rawal Lake remains at 1,736ft, also due to limited inflow. There, however, the authorities are satisfied the water level is not decreasing.

“The inflow was as much as the outflow, and we continue to maintain water supply to Rawalpindi city,” said an official at Rawal Dam.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018