RAWALPINDI, Dec 30: The city will be supplied additional seven million gallons per day of water with the rehabilitation of Rawal Dam filtration plant, increasing the total supply to 28MGD, District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani said here on Monday.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the water supply to Rawalpindi city from the rehabilitated filtration plant.

The Nazim said the rehabilitation of the filtration plant had been done at a cost of Rs3.3 million. He said the start of supply from the filtration plant would greatly mitigate water shortage.

Earlier, the city was facing a deficit of 10MGD and was getting 21MGD from Rawal Dam.

Mr Kiani said the supply of one MGD water to the city from Khanpur Dam had also been started. The supply from the dam, he said, would be enhanced after rains.

Speaking on the occasion, Project Director, Project Management Unit, Brig Habibur Rehman (retired) said the areas of Mohallah Raja Sultan, Eidgah Mohallah, Raja Bazaar, Ittehad Colony, Ratta Amral, Bohr Bazaar, Bhabra Bazaar, Kartarpura, Dhoke Ratta, Committee Chowk and Liaquat Bagh would be the main beneficiaries of the increased supply from Rawal Dam.

Meanwhile, the district Nazim said the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) had declared Rawalpindi a role model district because of the exemplary development undertaken in it following the installation of the local government.

He said such appreciation of the district government’s performance was not only limited to national institutions, but foreign organizations also had similar views. USAID, he said, had declared Rawalpindi a model district because of the advancements it made in the field of education.

Mr Kiani said besides the routine development grant provided by the government, the district bagged additional funds to the tune of Rs1,750 million.

This, he said, was only possible because of the confidence the district government developed with the federal and provincial governments about its ability to execute development schemes.

He said the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had also agreed to provide a huge grant for roads, environment and sewerage lines.