RAWALPINDI, March 8: The Corps Commander, Rawalpindi, Lt-Gen Syed Arif Hassan, performed ground-breaking ceremony of the Khanpur Dam Water Supply Project, Phase-II, here on Friday.

Talking to newsmen after attending the ceremony, the corps commander termed it a major breakthrough and expressed the hope that it would help solve the problem of water supply in the Cantt area.

Earlier, briefing the corps commander, Brig Agha Ali Hassan, Commander Engineers, 10 Corps, said Rawalpindi Cantonment had been suffering from acute water crisis since long. This was owing to the fact that against a requirement of 46 million gallons water per day (MGD) it was getting only 16.5 MGD, he added. The situation, he said, was even worse in summers as consumption increased.

Brig Agha said the Corps Headquarters taking stock of the situation asked Engineers 10 Corps to suggest remedial measures on priority. He said the case was presented to the Chief Executive in December 2000, who directed the Ministry of Finance to release the necessary funds and execute the project on war-footing.

Having completed phase I of the project the water supply had increased tremendously in areas of Westridge and around, he said.

The commander said ECNEC had approved an amount of Rs510 million for laying of 44.5km long pipeline and the project was expected to be completed by December 2003.

Talking about the advantages of completion of phase I of the project, he said the load on 40 tubewells out of 119 in Cantt area had reduced, this would not only reduce electricity bills, but also help in recharging the subsurface water for use during critical periods. A reservoir of 20 days had been created for the Cantonment area, he added.

He said it was due to combined effect of the reservoir and inter connection of the two dams that Cantt area did not face any shortage in December-January, this year, even when Khanpur supply was cut off due to desilting of its canal and supply from Rawal dam was reduced due to refurbishing of its filtration plant.

He said with the completion of phase II various areas of Dhoke Syedan, Chungee No 22, Lalkurti, Dheri Talli Moori, Lalazar and Dhamial would get enhanced water supply thus ending the chronic problem of water shortage.

The corps commander, talking to reporters, said funds were being sought for extension and expansion of Doke Chaudrian-Misrial and Adiala roads.

Replying to a question regarding construction of a flyover at Kutcheri Chowk, he said it was a very costly project but efforts were being made to streamline the flow of traffic in the area.

Besides Station Commander Brig Hamid Khalil, Executive Officer RCB Iftikhar Ahmed Mir, senior officials and Project Director Syed Shaukat Hamdani of Saadat Co. were present on the occasion.—APP