WASA gets NOC to install 15 tube wells
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi for the installation of 15 tube wells on the Islamabad Expressway to overcome water shortages in various areas of Rawalpindi.
Unlike in the past, the CDA has issued the NOC with strict conditions that 50 per cent of water from the tube well will be provided to the CDA.
The project to install 15 tube wells will cost Rs600 million. The NOC said that the 15 tube wells to be installed would provide 50 per cent water to the existing water supply network within the Islamabad Capital Territory limits.
CDA ICT and WASA will jointly monitor the tube wells. The NOC further stated that in case of drought because of the depleting groundwater level in the CDA limits, the WASA will be obliged to rehabilitate the tube wells, installed by the CDA, at its own cost.
The site for the installation of 15 tube wells will be jointly determined by the ICT, the CDA and WASA. If the Islamabad Expressway was expanded in future, the said 15 tube wells will be removed, the NOC said.
In case of removal of the installed 15 tube wells from Faizabad to Koral Interchange coting Rs600 million, the supply from these tube wells will be cut off.
Earlier, the WASA had installed 18 tube wells at a cost of Rs600 million on the service road from Faizabad to Morgah within the limits of Islamabad and at that time the CDA had attached no such condition for issuing the NOC.
An official said that if the WASA accepted the CDA conditions not only the water requirements in Rawalpindi will not be met but also the rehabilitation of tube wells within the CDA limits during drought will cost it heavily.
He said that in case of the future expansion of the Islamabad Expressway and the removal of all 15 tube wells, the WASA, which is already suffering from the worst financial crunch, will have to bear extra financial expenditures. He said that the WAS should seek an NOC from the CDA that did not contain conditions.
Sources said that the WASA will also install 10 new tube wells in the green belt of IJ Principal Road to meet the growing need for drinking water in Rawalpindi.
The WASA has estimated that the water supply project will cost Rs 200 million.
Due to the tumbling groundwater level in the Rawalpindi areas, approval has been given to install tube wells on IJP Road at the confluence of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Water from these tube wells will be distributed in five densely populated areas of Rawalpindi including the largest union councils 4, 5, 5, 7 and 8. All these five union councils are facing severe water shortages.
Every year, residents of these union councils face water shortages from May 1 to September 30, and they have to fetch water from far areas.
The already installed tube wells in these areas have dried up due to the depletion of underground water levels. The IJP Road area in Islamabad has abundant groundwater reserves at the depth of 500 to 600 feet. Locations for the installation of the new tube wells had already been identified.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2022.