ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday withdrew the No-Objection Certificate issued to Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) for the installation of 15 tubewells on the greenbelts Expressway.

The CDA stated that due to said tubewells, domestic boring installed by the general public in the nearby area have been drawdown/dried due to extensive extraction of water from the said tubewells.

In year 2022, CDA’s planning wing had allowed Wasa Rawalpindi to install the tubewells along the service road of Islamabad Expressway so that water from these could be pumped towards Rawalpindi.

CDA Member Planning Naveed Ilahi, on June 10, 2022, issued an NOC with a condition that 50 per cent of the water will be provided to nearby localities that fall in the jurisdiction of Islamabad, as the capital is also facing a shortage of water.

Then DG Water Sardar Khan Zimri had strongly opposed CDA’s management move by stating that Islamabad’s residents were already facing a water shortage. However, despite his opposition, CDA’s management issued to NOC.

According to CDA, following the said approval, Wasa installed several tubewells, and several new ones were being installed. After cancelling the NOC, the CDA directed Wasa to stop ongoing work.

The cancellation letter issued by DG Water Mr Zimri, stated that due to the installation of tubewell in the limits of Islamabad, residents of the nearby area are facing a water issue as their bores had dried up.

“ The residents of the area are also agitating and approaching high forums to get the basic necessity of water and demanding closure of all such tubewells installed by Wasa Rawalpindi in limit of Islamabad,” read the letter.

It added that competent authority “has also taken a serious notice of the situation arising thereupon and directed to withdraw the above-referred NOC and previous if any, to avoid any untoward situation to be created by agitating public residing in the adjoining area of Islamabad Expressway.

Thus, all such NOCs issued for the extraction of water or for the installation of tubewells are treated as cancelled, and the operation of these tubewells must be stopped with immediate effect,” read the letter, which was addressed to Managing Director Wasa.

Meanwhile, Mr Zimri said that Islamabad was never given 50pc share of water from Wasa from already installed tubewells.

It is relevant to note that Islamabad has already been facing a water shortage as it provides around 70 million gallons daily (MGDs) to the urban population, while the rural population depends on water schemes of the local government.

The total requirement of Islamabad is 220mgd. Groundwater level in Islamabad has been decreasing for the last decade or so.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2026