Water supply project hits snags

Six densely populated union councils (UCs) falling within the purview of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) are facing acute water shortage after a water supply project has hit snags.

The water supply has been exacerbated in various union councils as water supply from Chahan Dam could not be started, as the Punjab government has failed to appoint the project director of the vital project.

According to sources, work on the dam is almost complete, but no steps could be taken to supply six million gallons daily (MGD) water from the reservoir to seven union councils of Rawalpindi cantonment.

The dam is supposed to supply water to Girja, Chak Jalaldin One, Chak Jalaldin Two, Lakhan, Dhaman Syedan and Kalyan, which are facing an acute shortage of water.

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The Punjab government had built the Chahan Dam at a cost of Rs5.5 billion. The initiation of water supply from the reservoir is delayed for a long time now owing to the absence of the project director.

The appointment of the project director is important for laying water supply network to related UCs, and land acquisition, and other construction work for building overhead and underground water tanks.

Interestingly, funds worth Rs 1 billion have also been released for the project for the current fiscal year, but no further progress could be made in supply water from the reservoir.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2021.