RAWALPINDI: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $114 million, approx. Rs34.124 billion, to launch four mega projects in the garrison city to provide clean water to the residents.

The projects will start next month, with the start of the new fiscal year.

Talking to Dawn, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha said that the ADB would provide funds under phase-I of the Developing Resilient Environment and Advancing Municipal Services (Dreams-I).

He said the administration would be able to meet the “future requirements of water” in Rawalpindi and added that the divisional administration was committed to providing clean water to people at their doorsteps at reasonable rates.

Commissioner says four mega projects will start next month

One of the projects is the ‘Replacement of the Existing Conductance Main from Rawal Lake Filtration Plant to Waterworks’ at Sufaid Tanki on Saidpur Road, worth Rs3.031 billion ($10.10 million).

The commissioner said that the main objectives of this project were to restore (5 MGD) the originally allocated Wasa’s share of portable water and the capacity of Rawal Lake Filtration Plant (28 MGD) through a sustainable and most economical source.

This will benefit areas including Satellite Town, Shamsabad, Asghar Mall Scheme, Rawal Town, Rehmanabad and Pindora. The revamping of the filtration plant would improve its efficiency.

Proposed conductance mains will supply drinking water from Rawal Lake Filtration Plant to Ground Storage Tanks located at Sufaid Tanki, benefitting 125,000 people.

The other project is ‘Augmentation of Water Supply and Formation of District Metered Areas in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed’, worth Rs1.662 billion ($5.54 million). The commissioner said that the main objective of this project was the augmentation of water supply and establishment of a district metered area (DMA) in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed.

Through the execution of the project, the current deficit would be reduced, reliance on tubewells would be minimised and non-revenue water would also be managed. The project would focus on the augmentation of the water supply, installation of water meters, replacement of outlived pipes and covering of the unserved areas.

The third project is the ‘Integrated Water Supply System Based on Chahan Dam’, worth Rs28.556 billion ($95 million). The main objective of this project is to provide 12 MGD of potable water to areas in Wasa’s jurisdiction to improve water service delivery through a sustainable and most economical source. Dhamial, Girja and Chakra, Dhama Syedan, Lakhan, Chak Jalal Din (I&II) and Kalyal would benefit from this project.

Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Tanveer told Dawn that in 2015, a consultancy firm was hired for a feasibility study and a detailed engineering design for a water supply scheme named ‘Augmentation of Water Supply to Rawalpindi City based on Chahan Dam’. In this feasibility study, different options were studied to treat, transport and distribute 6 MGD water from Chahan Dam to the newly added zone in Wasa’s jurisdiction.

In 2020, Wasa engaged another firm in view of a revised enhanced water supply of 12 MGD from Chahan Dam. This consultant carried out a study for the up-gradation of the proposed water supply system, including intake, water treatment plant, conveyance system and water distribution system. However, due to a lack of funds, the project could not be started.

‘Hydrological and Hydrogeological Assessment of Water Resources for Sustainable Supply of Water for Rawalpindi City and Environs’ would cost Rs875 million ($3 million).

“The objectives of this project are to develop an integrated surface/groundwater model based on existing and new hydrological and hydro-geological assessments to estimate sustainable water resources,” the Rawalpindi commissioner said.

Through this project, Wasa would achieve accurate information on the availability of surface water resources in the study area and conduct a survey for abstraction to identify all significant sources of groundwater, he added. “It will also identify potential areas for artificial recharge of groundwater and explore the feasibility of accelerating groundwater recharge rates and adopt recommended measures to sustain water resources. The management strategies shall consider appropriate climate change scenarios,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2023