RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has given the go-ahead signal to the contractor to initiate work on a Rs35 billion project aimed to meet water requirements of Rawalpindi city.

The government has also released mobilisation funds for the Developing Resilient Environment and Advancing Municipal Services (Dreams) Phase-I project. However, land for the project is yet to be acquired.

A loan was taken from the Asian Development Bank for four water supply projects in the garrison city after approval of the federal government. The bank has provided funds under the Dreams Phase-I project.

The government will bring 12 million gallon daily (MGD) water from Chahan Dam. Under the integrated water supply system based on Chahan Dam, the 12 MGD of potable water would be supplied to areas in Wasa’s jurisdiction.

The following areas will benefit from the project: Dhamial, Girja, Chakra, Dhama Syedan, Lakhan, Chak Jalal Din (I & II) and Kalyal. The government approved the project worth Rs5.3 billion for the supply of water from Chahan Damin in December 2018. This dam near Chakri is being constructed River Sill Kus and is 22-km away from the garrison city.

As many as 160 kanals is required for the construction of a water treatment plant at Ranial, intermediate pumping stations at Adiala, Chakra and Akbar Chowk besides establishing underground and overhead water tanks and laying the supply lines.

However, a senior official of the divisional administration told Dawn that the land was not yet acquired, but the contractor had been asked to start its work. He said at least two months were required for the land acquisition.

He said Rawalpindi Development Authority and the district administration had to complete the land acquisition process as soon as possible so work would be start on time.

“If work is started this year, the project is likely to complete in the next summer,” he said.

Under the dreams project, Punjab government had to finalise a City Implementation Team (CIT), but at present no such team has been formed and the project was being manned from Lahore. This will create coordination issue between the local administration, Wasa and the provincial government.

When contacted, Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Programme Project Director Hamza Salik said a foreign firm had been selected and work order issued to it to bring water from Chahan Dam to Rawalpindi city.

“Land acquisition will be finalised in a week or two as work has been started and we will pay the affected people 60 per cent more than the official rates. Only 35 per cent work requires land, so the firm has been asked to start work,” he said. He said the Dreams project had four components: bringing water from Chahan Dam, Khanpur Dam, Rawal Dam and improving the underground watertable in the garrison city.

He said Wasa was the executing agency of the project and it would coordinate with the provincial government. He said Dreams project was launched in two Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024