CDA, RDA came down hard over growing pollution, contamination in Rawal Dam

ISLAMABAD: Highlighting the alarming rise in waterborne diseases, with 93 per cent of diarrhoea cases among children attributed to the lack of clean drinking water, the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Thursday came down hard on the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) over growing pollution and contamination in Rawal Dam.

The committee also proposed that the Ministry of Climate Change form an oversight committee to address public health matters, stressing the link between climate change and human health.

The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change meeting chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman was held in the Parliament House, to address the federal capital’s pressing water and sanitation issues.

Sherry Rehman highlighted the persistent problems with Islamabad’s outdated and faulty sewerage system and emphasised that Rawal Dam’s management is a shared responsibility between Punjab and the federal capital.

Senator Sherry Rehman emphasised that the water situation in Islamabad is extremely critical. She stated that nine million gallons of sewage water were being discharged into Rawal Dam daily.

Reports from the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that 41 per cent of borewater, 27 per cent of filtered water, and 33 per cent of supply water samples were found to be unsatisfactory.

In particular, samples from Sector G and Tarlai were flagged as severely contaminated, with all borewater samples in Tarlai failing to meet safety standards. This alarming situation calls for immediate intervention to ensure the safety of the public.

The NIH presented before the meeting a report revealing that out of 299 water samples collected, more than 100 were found to be contaminated.

The NIH informed the meeting that over 17,000 diarrhoea cases have been reported in Islamabad due to contamination in underground water.

The committee expressed concern over discharging 9mgd sewerage and waste water into Rawal Dam daily and the majority of the dam’s water being diverted to Rawalpindi.

Sherry Rehman lamented the institutional blame game and criticised the Ministry of Planning for claiming a lack of funds to address these critical issues.

Committee member Bushra Anjum Butt demanded solution to these issues in the next meeting.

The chairman CDA provided updates on Rawal Dam, stating that the spillways were opened 12 times last year, but despite surplus water; capital city did not receive additional supply. The federal capital requires 120 million gallons of water daily (mgd) but has access to only 80 million gallons.

Sherry Rehman expressed concern over the lack of accountability, questioning whether Islamabad had been abandoned.

Funding issues were also discussed, with the CDA chairman criticising the allocation of only Rs60 million for a Rs6 billion- public health project. The CDA had requested the Planning Commission to provide at least Rs3 billion amount for capital development projects but declined, stating that funding would not be available before June. They assured the committee that financial support would be provided by then, the CDA Chairman informed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025