• MNA from Rawalpindi writes letter, seeks permission to set up tubewells in Islamabad
• Civic body’s spokesman says decision to be taken in view of capital’s needs

ISLAMABAD: Emboldened by the support of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s nephew, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to allow it to install tubewells in the federal capital’s jurisdiction for the citizens of Rawalpindi.

The garrison city’s civic agency has the support of member of National Assembly (MNA) Sheikh Rashid Shafique who wrote a letter to the CDA, asking it to permit Wasa to install tubewells within its limit to meet the water needs of the residents of Rawalpindi.

Wasa wants to set up 15 tubewells in Islamabad, a city which is already facing shortage of water and its ground water level has been depleting drastically.

“Yes, we received an application from Wasa for installation of tubewells in Islamabad. But, we have not taken a decision, CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said.

“We will take a decision while keeping in view our own needs first,” Mr Raza said.

According to CDA sources, though a final decision was yet to be taken, capital’s civic body’s water directorate and planning wing had raised objections, saying that Islamabad was already facing acute water shortage.

The CDA is an attached department of the interior ministry, which is headed by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who was elected from Rawalpindi’s NA-62 constituency. His nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, is also a member of parliament,having returned from the garrison city’s NA-60 constituency.

The sources said CDA received Mr Shafique’s letter in December, but it has still not closed the file.

They said earlier in 2015-16, the CDA had allowed installations of 23 tubewells of Wasa in Islamabad’s limits along the service road west of expressway only to rue later on as the capital’s water table is rapidly depleting.

The CDA officials said massive growth in the city, increase in population as well as the fast depleting water table had put the civic agency in a difficult position.

In the letter dated Dec 24, 2021, Sheikh Rashid Shafique said: “With reference to the letter mentioned above, it is stated that the subject matter is urgent in nature and site plan showing the locations has already been sent to the town planner of the Planning Wing CDA Islamabad.”

“Furthermore, a part of the funds is also being released to initiate the project immediately,” Mr Shafique said, requesting the CDA to issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the project.

In order to improve the water table last year, the CDA inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) to enhance water table by constructing 150 recharging wells for storing rainwater.

During the last few decades, the civic agency could not add water to the system from any new source apart from the two million gallons of water from Rawal Dam which it restored after over two decades.

At present, the CDA is supplying 60 to 70 mgd from three main sources – Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam and tubewells –whereas the actual need as per its own study is 220mgd. Rawalpindi, too, is in the grip of water shortage.

The twin cities have pinned hopes on the proposed mega Ghazi Barotha project, which once completed, will provide 100 mgd each to both Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

In 2018, the then minister of state for interior, Shehryar Afridi, in response to a written reply, had told the Senate that the capital’s groundwater level had fallen by five times in the last five years.

He said 6ft decrease in groundwater level was observed in 2013, a 10ft reduction in 2014 and 16ft, 23ft and 30ft decrease up till 2017. He said the groundwater level was falling in Islamabad due to extensive pumping by departments and residents to meet water requirements and due to below normal rainfall.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2022