ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: The Capital Development Authority will seek assistance of Mangla Dam administration for the supply of water from Simly Dam through electric pumps if its level does not increase till August 31, a senior CDA official said.

“Owing to insufficient rains, the water level in Simly Dam has declined very much and if no rains occur before August 31, the CDA will have to use powerful suction pumps of Mangla Dam to supply water to the residents,” the official said.

Responding to a question about the cost to be paid by the CDA to the Mangla Dam administration for this purpose, he said, the cost would be in millions.

He said the assistance of Mangla Dam administration had also been acquired by the CDA during the last water crisis in Islamabad.

Owing to insufficient rains, the water level in Simly Dam and Khanpur Dam reservoirs has declined to 2247 feet against its normal level of 2295 feet. “If more rains do not occur it will further decline to the dead level and the supply from the dam will have to be stopped,” the official said. He said a study was being carried out to explore the possibility of constructing a small dam upstream of Simly at Chiniot Gorge to store water.

The CDA administration is also working to explore the possibility of water supply to Islamabad from Jehlum River.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held at 10 corps to explore ways to meet the requirement of people in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by the officials of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Water and Sanitation Agency Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The participants were asked to prepare their separate contingency plans to cope with the situation if water crises deepened.

All the officials would present their reports in the next meeting scheduled to be held on Aug 20.