SC orders to close private wells, demolish encroachment

Chief justice directs to bulldoze private houses built on public land

ISLAMABAD: With the capital classified as suffering from mild drought, the apex court on Thursday directed to close down some privately owned tube wells in the city and to demolish encroachment in the Korang river storm drain.

During a hearing on water shortage on Thursday, the Supreme Court summoned senior city officials of the capital including the chief commissioner, cantonment board officer and Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman over water scarcity in the city.



Presiding over the case, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said observed that the daily demand for water in the capital was 120 million gallons. However, supply was stagnant at 58.7 million gallons. He remarked that the government had failed to devise a strategy to ensure uninterrupted supply of water to the federal capital.

“Tankers worth Rs1,500 are being sold in Islamabad,” noted Justice Nisar.

A representative for the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) told the court that owing to ineffective policies, they had no other option but to source water from Tarbela Dam.

“The government had released only Rs500 million for a project that costs Rs70 billion,” the official said, pointing to the Ghazi Barotha dam project.

The court had also summoned tube well owners Malik Abrar, Zamrad Khan and Malik Mehbook. The authorities concerned were directed to shot down these wells.

Moreover, the court directed the authorities to demolish illegal encroachment built in the Korang river in Islamabad’s Bani Gala. The chief justice said that the apex court will not allow housing societies to be built on public property.



“Bulldoze unclaimed properties,” Chief Justice Nisar ordered.

The additional attorney general told the court that owners of houses which were found to be built on illegal land had approached the federal ombudsman.

The court gave them 10 days to submit a reply and adjourned the hearing until June 24.

On Wednesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had issued a drought alert, warning that small dams situated near Islamabad are at critical level and groundwater boring wells have become dry up to the depth of 150 feet in most areas of the twin cities.

Classifying the twin cities as suffering from ‘mild drought’, it pointed out that levels in the two dams which account for
a majority of the water supply to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi — Simly Dam and Khanpur Dam — were currently amongst lowest in the past 13 years.

Khanpur Dam had an average level of 1,930 feet in 2018, just above its dead level of 1,910 feet.  Similarly, Simly Dam was at 2,253 feet, just above its dead level of 2,233 feet. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2018.