RAWALPINDI: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has prepared 12 projects worth Rs112 billion for the next fiscal year 2026–27 to overcome water shortage in the garrison city and has submitted them to the Punjab government for approval.

Wasa Managing Director Mohammad Saleem Ashraf told Dawn that the provincial government had asked the agency to submit projects aimed at addressing water scarcity so they could be included in the Annual Development Programme for the new fiscal year.

He said 12 schemes had been prepared and forwarded to the provincial government for approval.

“The total cost of these schemes is Rs112 billion, and they will end the water shortage in the garrison city for the next 20 years,” he said, adding that the major portion of the development schemes was related to bringing water from two dams, including Daducha Dam and Chirah Dam.

He said that to bring 35 million gallons per day (MGD) of water from Daducha Dam, there was a dire need to lay a water supply system and establish a filtration plant, and the project had been submitted to the Punjab government.

Regarding Chirah Dam, he said 28 MGD of water would be brought for the twin cities, of which Rawalpindi would receive a 14 MGD share. He said the Punjab government’s share of the project cost would be Rs40 billion.

He further said another mega project worth Rs6 billion had been recommended for inclusion in the Annual Development Programme. The project, titled Punjab Development Programme: Improvement/Remodelling of Sewerage/Drainage Storm Water Drains System of Eastern Side, Wasa Rawalpindi, District Rawalpindi, had also been proposed.

“PC-I was discussed in the 43rd Punjab Development Working Party (PDWP) meeting held on November 17, 2025, and the Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department has initiated a summary for approval from the cabinet,” he said.

He said a development scheme worth Rs800 million had also been submitted to lay a 40-inch water supply line from Tommar Reservoir to improve water supply from Khanpur Dam.

“Rs500 million scheme has been prepared for rehabilitation and installation of tubewells in different union councils of PP-17, Rs100 million scheme for construction of four overhead water tanks with a capacity of 50,000 gallons each in PP-17, and Rs300 million scheme for four overhead water tanks in PP-16,” he said.

He said that for the first time, Wasa planned to install 10 monitoring tubewells in different parts of the garrison city to monitor underground water levels, and the scheme would cost Rs500 million. He said after installation, the agency would be able to assess groundwater levels and plan accordingly if the water table receded rapidly.

He added that recharging wells would also be established in the next phase. He said a Rs150 million project to shift a one-kilometre-long main water supply line from Karnal Sher Khan Road to Double Road was also part of the plan.

Apart from this, two major projects to improve the sewerage system in the garrison city have also been planned.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2026