Severe water crisis grips Pindi UCs

Four WASA tube wells dry up, three reduce output by 60 per cent

RAWALPINDI:

A severe water crisis has gripped the densely populated union councils (UCs) 21 (Dhok Kala Khan) and 22 (Qayyum Abad) and the adjoining areas as out of the seven functional tube wells, four have completely stopped the supply of water while the discharge of water from the remaining has reduced to mere 40 per cent due to a substantial decrease in the groundwater.

Several areas of the garrison city are facing acute water shortage due to the depleting groundwater level and interrupted supply from nearby water dams. According to experts, groundwater level has gone down around 750 feet while several tube wells have dried up because of fewer rains.

According to sources, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has started to make temporary arrangements to ensure water supply to the affected areas from the main supply line of Rawal Dam.

“Until the arrangements are finalised, the water supply will continue through water tankers in the affected areas,” the sources said.

The rapid fall in groundwater levels in these areas has led to a complete subsidence and failure of four tube wells and a 60 per cent drop in the water output has occurred in three tube wells, completely disrupting the water supply system in several areas.

Sources in WASA told The Express Tribune that a total of 480 tube wells of the agency are in working condition at present. “The output of most of these tube wells has reduced,” they said.

Replying to a question, WASA spokesperson Umar Farooq said the agency has started work on an emergency basis to deal with the water crisis that has arisen in the areas of UCs 21 and 22. “The process of laying a temporary line from the main water supply line coming from Rawal Dam and installing a booster pump on it has been started,” the spokesperson said.

“In the meantime, efforts will be made to continue water supply through two tube wells with low discharge and water tankers,” he added.

WASA’s Deputy Managing Director Salim Ashraf said the project of an additional water supply of five million gallons per day to the garrison city with the help of the Asian Development Bank will start in January 2024. “The project has been approved and necessary processing has been initiated to start the work on the project,” he said.

The WASA DMD assured that the water situation in the two affected UCs will soon be under control. “The citizens cannot be left without water. Therefore, the water supply from tankers has been continued in addition to the supply from two tube wells with low discharge through a temporary connection to the main supply of Rawal Dam,” he said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2023.