Authorities in Rawalpindi have declared a water emergency for the second time this year, as dam levels fall dangerously low and demand continues to outstrip supply.
According to the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the Khanpur Dam has only one month’s worth of water reserves left, while Rawal Dam is expected to sustain the city’s needs for up to three months under current conditions, Express News reported.
“Demand has risen to over 50 million gallons per day, while supply remains limited to around 30 million gallons,” said WASA Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf.
He added that the underground water table has now dropped to 650 feet, showing no signs of recovery due to below-average rainfall.
The agency had previously imposed a drought emergency in February.
Officials now say that a lack of rain is continuing to strain water resources, forcing them to rely more heavily on tube wells and alternate sources.
Ashraf warned that commercial activity and unchecked population growth were depleting water faster than it can be replenished.
“We will now initiate legal action against unnecessary water use,” he said, stressing the urgency of public cooperation in conserving resources.
WASA is appealing to residents of the twin cities to conserve water, as any delay in rainfall could push the region into a severe supply crisis.
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