Acute water shortage has gripped twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, increasing miseries of the citizens, as the majority of the population is vying for water despite increase in level of water reservoirs in and around twin city during the current monsoon spell.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Rawalpindi have failed to tackle with the water crisis, water level is satisfactory at Rawal Lake, Khanpur Dam, Simly Dam but it could meet the water requirements of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as inflow of water also increased to the reservoirs coming from the streams of catchments areas after recent rains.
Water level at Rawal Lake has touched 1,736 feet with the addition of six feet, however highest water limit is 1,752 feet at Rawal Lake. In Simly dam where level went up by more than six feet to 2,255 feet. Dead level at Rawal Lake and Simly Dam is 1,708 feet and 2,233 feet respectively. Water also reached satisfactory level at Khan Pur Dam.
Despite rise in the reservoirs water level after the current rain, citizens are forced to buy water from private tankers in various parts of federal capital. Taking advantage of the situation private takers started fleecing the citizens by selling one water tank at Rs 800 to Rs 1,000. Residents of G-9, G-10, I-10-1 are being continually victimised by the CDA in Islamabad and even they are facing water shortage the holy month of Ramazan.
The residents told Business Recorder that since the start of holy month of Ramazan they were forced to buy water from private water tankers and CDA's water tanker, adding the CDA tankers' drivers were charging extra money from them. Private water tankers are charging Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per tanker while government tankers drivers are charging Rs 500 per tanker from the consumers, they added.
Though the residents had lodged several complaints of water shortage with Water Tanker Inquiry Service of the CDA, no step was taken to ensure smooth water supply to the consumers. Although the CDA has launched water tankers service to provide water on subsidised rate of Rs 100 per tanker to meet water demand, the tanker drivers are charging Rs 400 to 500 per water tank from the citizens.
"CDA is providing only 63 million gallons water daily to over one million population of city while the total requirement of water of federal capital is 200 MGD per day. But due to prolonged loadshedding, the city managers are unable to provide 63 million gallons water to the residence", an official source told Business Recorder. He said huge quantity of water was being wasted daily due to the wrecked water supply lines in the city and existing sources of water for federal capital solely depended on rain and ground water level, adding the main source of water included Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam and tubwells.
The official said Islamabad was receiving 29 million gallons water daily from Simly dam against the total capacity of 42 million gallons. Similarly, the city is receiving 8.43 million gallons daily from tubewells against the total capacity of nine million gallons and Khanpur Dam is providing 0.5 million gallons daily against the total capacity of 16.5 million gallons.
It was also learnt that water crisis is even worst in thickly populated areas Rawalpindi, including Nayya Mohallah, Usmanpura, Mohanpura, Moti Bazaar, Chittian Hatian, Sarafa Bazaar, Bhabara Bazaar and Urdu Bazaar. Wasa Spokesman Umar Farooq, while talking to Business Recorder blamed loadshedding for water crisis in Rawalpindi, saying water was not being pumped properly for supply.
The official said that Rawalpindi was receiving 25 million gallons water daily from Rawal Lake against the total capacity of 46 million gallons. Similarly, the city is receiving 20 to 25 million gallons water daily from tubewells and Khanpur Dam is providing four to five million gallons daily. According to an estimate 30 gallon per person is being supplied to the city on daily basis during the summer seasons, but prolonged loadshedding has reduced the functioning of the water pumps resultantly water crisis is multiplying with each passing day.