RAWALPINDI, April 8: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has submitted Rs692 million PC-1 of Khanpur Dam water supply project phase-3 to the defence ministry, it has been learnt. It is a three-year plan and will be funded by the federal government. The project will fulfil the water requirements of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments.

Sources said out of the total amount about Rs220 million would be spent on tertiary pipeline networking in about 50 areas located in the peripheries of the civic bodies. Apart from the pipeline networking, about 13 reservoirs will be established in different areas of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments as planned in the project, the sources said.

The project, after its approval by the defence ministry, will be put before the Priority Committee of the Planning and Development Department whose meeting is scheduled to be held on April 13.

The plan, if passed, will then go to the Central Development Working party (CWDP) for review. The final approval will be given after it is passed by the Executive Committee for National Economic Commission (Ecnec).

When asked about the scheme, the RCB executive officer, Khawaja Iftikhar Mir, said PC-1 of phase-3 of Khanpur Dam had been submitted to the government. According to him, the prevailing water supply problems would be resolved after the completion of phase-3 scheme.

In this project, water will be supplied to Saddar, Gawalmandi, Janda Chichi, Dhoke Kashmirian and other areas. Apart from this, about 50 localities where no official water supply system exists would be given water in this project, he said.

To a question whether it will permanently solve the water supply problem of the cantonment residents, he said the existing water supply sources including tubewells, Rawal Lake and Khanpur Dam were not perennial and were dependent upon rains. When there are good rains, we have enough water to provide to the residents but when there are no rains then the watertable goes down and there are problems in water supply, he said.

The RCB has, therefore, envisaged a water supply plan named as 'Lift Irrigation System' which envisions to lift the Indus River water from Ghazi Barotha Canal in future. This project, if materializes, will be a permanent source of water supply for the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

When asked whether there was any possibility of increase in water charges after the costly Khanpur water arrives, said the phase-3 project also included installation of metering system. After meters are installed, the consumers will be charged according to the water they consume. Those who consume more water will be charged more and those who consume less will be billed less, he said.