ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) will complete its feasibility study by the end of this year to identify sites to build ponds for the purpose of recharging groundwater level.

This was stated by PCRWR Chairman Dr Mohammad Ashraf while briefing a meeting presided over by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, says a press release issued by the Planning Commission on Tuesday.

He said sites would be identified for ponds where water from streams would be stored to raise groundwater level. He informed the meeting that besides the capital’s sectors, suburban areas of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) were also facing water shortage.

The meeting also reviewed the progress made on the MoU signed between the CDA and PCRWR on July 8.

Minister says initiative aimed at increasing water availability before next summer

Addressing the meeting, Federal Minister Asad Umar said citizens of Islamabad were faced with water shortage as the current average demand was 246 MGD, whereas the present supply was 80 MGD. He said the major water supply sources were Simly and Khanpur dams as well as 194 tubewells.

The minister said groundwater was falling rapidly and had dropped to the lowest levels.

In view of the situation, he said a project for carrying water from Ghazi Barotha was in the pipeline through which 100 million gallons of water would initially be supplied to citizens.

However, Mr Umar said before this project was completed in three to four years, immediate steps were needed to meet the water needs of the federal capital.

It is relevant to note here that Ghazi Barotha was a mega project and as per CDA’s estimate in 2017 it required over Rs77 billion. For fiscal year 2021-22, the federal government earmarked funds for feasibility study and acquiring land for crossing pipelines.

The planning minister said the initiative of recharging groundwater would result in additional water availability for people before next summer.

He also appreciated the efforts of PCRWR for rainwater harvesting, emphasising the need to set up field activities and complete a comprehensive water resource assessment in the entire ICT region by December this year.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan, who also attended the meeting, told Dawn that PCRWR would complete the recharging project by the end of this year and once completed, groundwater level would see significant improvement.

He said the minister also directed the PCRWR to sign MoU like it did with the CDA and Federal Government Employees Housing Authority.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2021