Lake View Park: Banned motor boats continue to contaminate water of Rawal Dam

Boat drivers work secretly, charging passengers double fares

ISLAMABAD: The banned motor boats are still operational at Lake View Park, an action which is gradually jeopardising the environment and contaminating water of Rawal Dam, the major reservoir supplying water to Rawalpindi.  Shan Ali, a tourist on Friday said as many as 200 boats including paddle and row boats along with a few motor boats, are operating in Rawal Dam. The motor boats, he said were banned for causing environmental hazards and pollution in the water reservoir.

He said that presently the motor boat drivers are working secretly; carrying rides and are somehow charging tourists double-fares. The jetty, he said had also been sealed by Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration whereas the boat riders were disembarking their boats near the broken corners of the walls, made at the banks of the park.  The motor boat drivers use this space to flee during police raids.

However, Athar Bilal, a tourist, said the boat drivers were charging high fares for the rides and it was astonishing to see that motor boats were still working despite the ban as they were contaminating portable water being supplied to Rawalpindi city. He said there was also no check on the prices of eatables provided by the food outlets in the park.

On contact, both Capital Development Authority (CDA) and ICT officials were unavailable to share their versions on the issue. Environmentalist, Muhammad Saleem said boating is not permissible in a clean, potable water reservoir and it is incomprehensible to see such a blatant violation of official orders.

Lake View Park Manager Ibrar Butt informed that the jetty was closed by ICT administration and the matter of motor boats ban was under judicial consideration. He said the park management has been thoroughly carrying out maintenance and cleanliness of the park. He further stated that a survey of the civil department has been done and after an official procedure, the renovation of broken walls would start. The park manager said that there were underground sewage tanks being built to avoid Rawal Dam's contamination whose waste was properly collected by CDA waste suction machines. "I had recently visited the aviary of the park and directed the concerned authorities to ensure proper dumping of the waste and residue of the aviary which may cause pollution in the water reservoir,” he stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2018.