Work on tank to store rainwater complete

Having storage capacity of 100,000 gallons built at Rawal Park

RAWALPINDI:

The construction of the first underground water tank at Rawal Park has been completed.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Rawalpindi executed the project worth Rs50 million to reduce the use of clean water in parks.

The tank which has a storage capacity of nearly 100,000 gallons was part of the rainwater harvesting project. All rainwater will be saved in the coming monsoon season.

PHA Director General Zaheer Ahmed Jappa said that the project would enable the authority to collect rainwater in various parks of Rawalpindi city which would be used for irrigation in parks and other plantation sites of the city. All rainwater will be saved in the coming monsoon season. These projects will be launched in Rawalpindi’s parks including Allama Iqbal Park, Rawal Park, Pothohar Park, Liaquat Bagh and Commercial Market Children’s Park. Water supply systems would also be installed in the parks besides constructing water filling stations to fill water tankers, he added.

“The second such tank is under construction at Liaquat Bagh while two others would be built in Commercial Market and Allama Iqbal Park. All four tanks would have a capacity of over 300,000 gallons,” he said.

The underground water tanks are being constructed to conserve rainwater through this eco-friendly project, he said. The project would help save clean water being used for irrigation proposes, he said adding, PHA Rawalpindi was installing rainwater harvesting system to reduce the use of clean water.

Over 300,000 gallons of underground clean water would be saved through this project, he added.

“Ongoing scheme would not only save water but also help raise the level of the underground water table,” he said, adding that the basic aim of the project was to increase water level in the city and to address water shortage issues. After the success of this pilot project, more rainwater harvesting systems would be installed in other areas of the town, he added.

These projects will be launched in Rawalpindi’s parks including Allama Iqbal Park, Rawal Park, Pothohar Park, Liaquat Bagh and Commercial Market Children’s Park. Replying to a question, he said that spring plantation had been started in all parks of the city and Murree too. “We also identified the parks and sites in Murree for installation of a rain harvesting system. “The beautification drive in the city would be launched soon, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2022.