TAXILA, July 6: Severe water crisis looms over Rawalpindi and Islamabad as water level in Khanpur Dam has almost touched the dead level.

It is feared that if the monsoon rain does not come in next couple of days the present water will be sufficient for next ten days, sources said.

Talking to this reporter, Executive Engineer Khanpur Dam Asim Saeed said that on Friday the water level in the dam was only eight feet above the dead level 1,910 AMSL (above mean sea level).

He said that maximum water supply of 60 cusecs is being provided to twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for drinking purposes and 17 cusecs of water is being supplied for irrigation to Punjab while 22 cusecs to Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.

Responding to a question, he said water for irrigation purposes had not been suspended with a view to saving the standing crops and fruit orchards of the area.

He said that it was for the first time that irrigation water had not been suspended despite severe water crisis in the area.

Experts predict severest water crisis in Rawalpindi after 1996 due to current water shortage in the Khanpur Dam. Experts say that if the present situation persists for few more days there is a possibility that the dam will completely go dry.

Meanwhile, water table in Taxila and Wah Cantonment has dropped by 30 feet, creating problems for the civic bodies to supply water through tube wells smoothly. People who have their own bore have also switched to other alternative resources to get water for domestic use.