ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The underground water-table in Rawalpindi and Islamabad has considerably declined, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) sources informed Dawn.

The present water-table measurement was compared with the earlier readings and a general decline was observed in Islamabad area.

The sources said water-level at 10 tubewells in Islamabad and eight in Rawalpindi was measured. The depth of the tubewells in Islamabad area varied from 9.8 to 37.1 metres. The water-level at tubewell No. 61 in G-7/3-2 was 17.8 metres in April 1986. But, the current reading showed that water-level had fallen to the depth of 28.25 metres.

The most steep decline was observed at tubewell No. 10/48 installed at the PCSIR laboratory, H-9. The level was measured at 20 metres in October 1986, which recently was recorded to have fallen to the depth of 36.52 metres.

The tubewell No. 139, which supplies water to sector I-9/4, saw a decrease of 25 metres in its water-level, the PRCWR sources said.

Although, in case of Rawalpindi, no previous record is available, the water-level measured by the PRCWR at different sites across the city showed similar results as in Islamabad.

Sources said the level of water at tubewell nos 7 and 53, which provide water to Saddar and Afshan Colony, reduced to 52 metres.