ISLAMABAD, April 29: Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pepa) has opposed the Capital Development Authority's plan to provide recreational facilities in and around Rawal lake , official sources told Dawn.

The CDA has recently floated tenders for commercial boating and setting up eateries to make the venue an attraction for visitors. The agency, through a letter, has asked the CDA to follow Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997's EIA/IEE regulations 2000 that have been notified vide S.R No 339 (1)/2000, the sources said.

Under the regulations, the CDA, before taking such steps, is supposed to get clearance certificate from the environment protection agency, they said. However, they said, commercial boating could not be allowed at a lake that was a source of drinking water as per international practices.

All over the world, drinking water lakes are highly- protected areas and such activities are simply not allowed. This is something very serious and, if not controlled, will have far reaching health impact on the end users, they said.

Responding to a question, the sources said floating restaurants would definitely affect the water quality of the lake by mixing it with oil and grease contents.

Rawal lake is the main source of water supply to Rawalpindi city and cantonment. Constructed on Kurrang River, the dam has a catchment area of 106 sq miles, and it generates 84,000 acre feet of water in an average rainfall year.

Over the years, haphazard constructions in the catchment area of the lake have been main source of water contamination, the sources said. To another query, they said through extensive chlorination of the water, it only became clear.

However, special treatment plants were needed to remove other multiple pollutants, and such plants were not available in the country. Rawal lake, a source of water supply to 1.3 million people of Rawalpindi, is already suffering from worst form of water contamination.

According to a recently-held meeting of the Rawal Lake Catchment Management Committee, the Biological Oxygen Demand of the lake had jumped up to an alarming level of 680 milligram per litre (mg/l) against the National Environmental Quality Standard's approved level of 80 mg/l.

During the meeting, it was also observed that a number of pollutants, including human waste and poultry garbage, were being directly poured into the lake with impunity, and the authorities concerned had done nothing in this regard.

Noticing the high level of pollutants in the water, Pepa has already started continuous monitoring of the lake so that preventive measures could be taken, the sources said.