ISLAMABAD: The attention of the Supreme Court was drawn on Thursday towards unabated infrastructure development around the pond and catchment area of the much needed Dadhocha Dam in Rawalpindi.

“The work for the construction of Dadhocha Dam has been commenced, but the development work of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Valley and Phase-II Extension in the pondage and catchment area has not been stopped as ordered by the apex court through its Aug 27, 2015 order,” said a two-page application moved by retired Lt Col Mohammad Tariq Kamal – a resident of Rawalpindi.

In his application for early hearing of an earlier request for initiating contempt of court proceedings against delinquent Punjab government officials, the applicant pleaded that the matter was of larger public interest, involving construction of the DHA Valley, Phase-II Extension Housing Project.

According to the petitioner, Messers Habib Rafique developers had entered into a joint venture with Bahria Town Pvt Ltd to shape up different real estate housing projects; the pond area of the dam was the same site where these developers were building DHA Valley – a project that remained controversial since it was designed to provide housing facilities to soldiers, junior commissioned officers and families of martyrs.

The dam project also concerns the 35 million gallons per day (MGD) water reservoir of the dam, for supplying water to the garrison city, since the older reservoir of Rawal Dam has completed its life span of 50 years.

According to a study, the dam, once constructed, will have a storage capacity of 45,000 acres and will be able to supply 35 million gallons per day of water to citizens of Rawalpindi.

The feasibility study for Dadhocha dam was approved during 2013-14, after which the irrigation department had hired consultants to move ahead with the project. In 2002, a pre-feasibility study of site no.1 was carried out by the Small Dams Organisation, which remained under active consideration for construction of the dam, the study stated, adding to secure the area required for the proposed project, a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 was also issued on Nov 3, 2010.

The area falls in the jurisdiction of three Tehsils of Rawalpindi district namely Rawalpindi, Kahuta and Kallar Syedan.

According to the petition, the major source of water supply to Rawalpindi is from Rawal Dam and Khanpur Dam; the former was built in 1965 whereas the latter was constructed in 1983 but its output has been reduced by 30pc.

The two new water reservoirs over Ling River and Soan River were planned after realising the population explosion, for which the location of Dadhocha Dam over Ling River was technically evaluated and subsequently recommended by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the petitioner said.

In August 2015, the Punjab government had declared the present site for the dam as technically and economically more feasible. The consultant had suggested that a very narrow gorge and a natural bowl-shaped reservoir was present at the site, which was ideal for construction of the dam.

It was mentioned in the study that site No.2 will have a storage capacity of 24,259 acres with 25 million gallons a day of water being supplied to the city. The hydrology at the site is rated suitable for sustainable water supply.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2021