CDA plans construction of two new dams in Islamabad to overcome water shortage issue

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced the construction of two small dams, Shahdara and Chiniot, to overcome the water shortage issue in Islamabad.

Furthermore, CDA announced that from Thursday, the water supply from Simly Dam to Islamabad would be increased by eight million gallons per day (mgd). The overall water requirement of Islamabad (both rural and urban) is around 250 million gallons daily (mgd) with the city requirement said to be 120 mgd.

Presiding over a meeting on the water issue, CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa directed the concerned department for “immediate work on Shahdara, Tarbela, Chiniot, and Khanpur dams so that the water problem can be solved permanently”.

According to CDA, the Chiniot Dam will be constructed in the catchment area of Simly Dam while the Shahdara Dam will be set up on the Shahdara stream.

Moreover, the CDA press release said that instructions had also been issued to start work on Khanpur Dam and Ghazi Brotha project. CDA and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board have been receiving water from the Khanpur Dam through Khanpur canal.

However, during the meeting, it was informed that around 40% of water is being theft before reaching Islamabad’s Sangjani water works.

“The CDA chairman expressed his anger over the water theft from Khanpur Dam to Sangjani Plant Canal. While giving a briefing, he was told that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have control over the canal,” the statement added.