RAWALPINDI: To bring 35 million gallons daily (MGD) of water from Daducha Dam, the Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has launched a feasibility study worth Rs43 million and directed the consultant to complete it within two months.

Talking to Dawn, Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said a consultant had been hired for the study, and the firm was tasked with preparing a PC-I for bringing water from the dam to the city as well as for the construction of a filtration plant at the dam site.

He said Wasa Rawalpindi currently supplies water from both surface and groundwater sources.

Rawal Dam is the oldest and main surface water source, supplying more than 23 MGD against its installed capacity of 28 MGD.

“Khanpur Dam is the second source of surface water, and WASA is receiving 6 MGD due to low water availability in Khanpur Lake,” he said. “Groundwater in Wasa-administered areas is extracted through 480 operational tube wells, supplying about 35 MGD, which makes up more than 60 per cent of the total water presently available from all sources,” he added.

He noted that existing sources are insufficient to meet the growing population’s future demand. “Switching from groundwater to surface water is essential, as the ground recharge potential is no longer available,” he said.

The Wasa chief said Rawal Dam has completed about 56 years of its useful life. Therefore, the only option to meet Rawalpindi’s drinking water needs is to construct Daducha Dam to store stormwater and, after treatment, supply 35 MGD to the city.

“The project will not only provide assured water supply to Rawalpindi but also help recharge groundwater,” he said, adding that the Small Dams Organisation has already started work on Daducha Dam at Ling River, a tributary of River Soan, near Daducha village, to meet the city’s drinking water needs.

He said Wasa plans to conduct the feasibility study followed by a detailed design to treat, transport, and distribute this water in the most economical and beneficial way. “A prefeasibility study has already been conducted for identifying a site for the water treatment plant and the conduction route, which requires further investigation to firm up the proposal,” he said.

Mr Ashraf said the project would meet present and future drinking water needs, address scarcity, reduce contamination, improve overall water supply in Wasa areas, and cut operational and maintenance costs by switching from costly groundwater extraction to surface water.

He added that the availability of sufficient water would also improve the city’s environment and benefit poor and low-income groups.

Regarding the feasibility study, he said the consultant would be responsible for data collection, review of previous studies and reports, topographic survey, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations, detailed design of different components, land acquisition and resettlement plan and environmental and socio-economic impact assessment. He noted that current sources were insufficient and the Rawalpindi’s population was growing very rapidly. To address the problem, the project will be vital, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025