RAWALPINDI: Though the recent monsoon rains have filled up Rawal and Khanpur dams, civilian residents of the Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments are still getting water every third day under ‘water rationing’.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has made it clear that the water rationing will continue till the completion of the Khanpur Dam Water Supply Project’s Phase-III, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Civilian residents therefore have to get water via private tankers which charge Rs3,000 per trip. Residents are looking to the new government to address the issue as soon as possible.

A resident of Afshan Colony, Fahad Ali said residents get a 15 or 20 minute water supply every third day and that people have to get water from neighbouring colonies. He said some people have to buy water from private tankers which is affecting the household budget of the common man.

A resident of Shalley Valley, Asim Ali said the RCB had failed in addressing water and sanitation issues the last five years.

He said the people had voted for PTI, hoping it will solve the water shortage issue for the civilian population of the cantonment areas.

RCB spokesperson Qaiser Mehmood conceded that there is a shortage of water even though there is enough water in the dams. He said they are getting 19 million gallons daily (MGD) from the Khanpur Dam when the requirement is of 44MGD.

“The water shortage in the cantonment areas will end after the completion of the Khanpur Dam Water Supply Project Phase-III as our quota will be increased to 25MGD,” he said.

The issue will be completely addressed if the federal government starts more projects to bring water from another dam, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018