Planning for water projects near completion

ADB to provide Rs28 billion for three Pindi water schemes

RAWALPINDI:

The design and planning for two significant water supply projects in Rawalpindi with loan funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have entered final stages.

The projects include Chahan Dam and a new water supply network from Rawal Lake’s treatment plant to Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, the study for another ADB-funded project, Dadocha Dam, has also been started.

In total, the bank will provide loan funding of Rs28 billion for these three projects which will ensure the long-term supply of drinking water in the garrison city.

With the completion of these projects, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) will close 100 tube wells while the work on all the projects will be carried out under the supervision of the Punjab Intermediate Improvement Studies Project (PESP).

According to sources, the design and final planning have been near to its completion by the ADB consultant on three different projects to further improve the water supply network managed by WASA and to ensure the supply of water according to the needs of the citizens on a long-term basis.

The Chahan Dam project, from which the daily supply of water has been increased from six to 12 million gallons, will now cost Rs17 billion instead of Rs9 billion. With this project, the six densely populated UCs of Potohar Town, including Lakhan, Girja-I, Girja-II, Chak Jalal Deen, Mohri Ghazan and Dhamial, will not only be able to get the supply of water as per their requirement but the additional water will also be supplied to other areas of Rawalpindi.

The second most important water supply infrastructure project is the laying of a new pipeline from Rawal Lake's treatment plant to WASA's water supply diversion on 6th Road in Rawalpindi, from which the current daily water supply of water of 23 million gallons per day will be increased to 28 million gallons per day.

This will end the difficult situation that WASA is facing in terms of not being able to supply water according to the demand of the city.

An increase in the daily water supply of five million gallons will not only solve the long-standing problem of water supply to the citizens but will also facilitate WASA for not paying huge electricity bills due to the closure of nearly 100 tube wells.

On the other hand, a formal project study has now been initiated for the third most important water supply project, the Dadocha Dam. After the finalisation of this project, its PC-1 will also be prepared and an alternative arrangement could be made regarding the future water requirements.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2023.