ISLAMABAD, July 28: The Auxiliary Spillway Project at Simly Dam, which aims at increasing storage capacity and avoiding water wastage, will be completed by the end of the current year with an estimated cost of Rs300 million, a senior CDA official told Dawn on Sunday.

“Some 70 per cent work on the project has already been completed,” he said, adding that under-construction rear wall of the auxiliary spillway would be completed by the next month.

With the completion of the project, the maximum water level at the dam will be increased to 2,315 feet against the current highest level of 2,295 feet, he added.

“The authority will be able to save 1.8 million gallon per day (MGD) of water after the completion of the project,” he added.

A source said the CDA had started the project some five years ago, but due to financial constraints, it could not be completed.

He said the Wapda officials, who had prepared a survey report on Simly Dam some years ago, suggested the CDA to construct the auxiliary spillway, which would be used for releasing a required quantity of water from the reservoir.

He said an intech-siphon — a pump — would be installed at the filtration plant of the dam to supply treated water to the residents of the federal capital, in case of non-functioning of the filtration plant.

The CDA has also conducted a study for the construction of a check dam at Simly Dam’s tributary, the source said.

Another authority official said more than the required quantity of water spilled out of the dam, when the existing spillway was opened. This wastage can be avoided after the construction of the auxiliary spillway, he said.

Another official told Dawn that depending upon the loss of water due to evaporation and seepage in the dam, the water supply was reduced or increased by the CDA.

Responding to a query, he said the dead level of the Simly Dams was higher, compared to that of other dams because its water was mainly used for drinking and domestic purposes.