Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) have jointly started construction of Cherah Dam costing Rs 5 billion to deal with drought-like situation in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Talking to Business Recorder, Director General Water Management Sanaullah Aman said that both authorities would share the cost of the project, which is scheduled to be completed within three years.
He said that the project would be executed on Soan River in collaboration with Small Dams Organisations. The DG sanitation said that it would contain 15 million gallon water which would be equally distributed among the residents of the capital and Rawalpindi. To a question regarding the plan of constructing six small dams to cope with the water scarcity in the capital, he said that he had no information regarding constructing such dams.
He said that CDA was making all out efforts to deal with recent drought -like situation in Islamabad. Water level has reduced by 40 percent in Simly and Khanpur Dams due to continued dry spell. Water reservoir level had come down from 70 million gallon per day (MGD) to 40 million MGD. "We have increased the number of water tankers from 50 to 70 and also strict monitoring on the water's leakage points", he added.