Survey flags reckless water use in Pindi

With demand for drinking water rising and supplies increasingly strained, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) experts have stressed the urgent need for behavioural change among citizens to curb growing wastage.

The Fund has completed a survey on public attitudes towards water use and wastage in Rawalpindi and will now submit it to the Punjab government.

As part of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded "Dream Project" on water supply in Rawalpindi, UNICEF experts held a high-level meeting with officials of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) to present their findings along with a documentary highlighting patterns of water use. The session was chaired by WASA Managing Director, Saleem Ashraf.

The documentary revealed that, despite water shortages, residents continue to waste substantial amounts of water on activities such as watering lawns, washing cars, and unnecessarily cleaning floors.

Such habits, it noted, often leave households struggling during periods of limited supply. The experts explained that extensive fieldwork had been conducted across Rawalpindi to assess public behaviour, concluding that a shift in attitudes is critical. They called for a comprehensive public awareness campaign to encourage responsible water use.

Those present at the meeting included UNICEF specialists Asiya Ashraf (WASH & C Specialist), Sabahat Anbreen (WASH & C Officer), Madiha Khan (Community Outreach Manager), Maliha Sajjad Naqvi (UNICEF Officer, WASH & C), Hashro Takashai (UNICEF WASH Manager), Saeeda-un-Nisa (Gender Expert, PMCSS), and Farhat Parveen (Gender Expert), alongside WASA Deputy Managing Director, Syed Muhammad Hasnain, and other officials.

Participants underscored the importance of raising awareness and changing behaviour to reduce waste, particularly in a densely populated city like Rawalpindi, where demand continues to grow while resources remain limited.

They emphasised that community participation is key to ensuring sustainable supplies, noting that the success and durability of projects aimed at expanding reserves depend upon curbing wasteful practices.

WASA MD Ashraf informed the meeting that the Agency is currently working on the Chahan Dam and Daducha Dam projects under the Dream Project.

"At present, Rawalpindi relies on water from Rawal Dam, Khanpur Dam, and tube wells," he said, adding WASA teams routinely engage with the public to raise awareness, urging citizens to avoid wasteful use so that available supplies can meet the city's growing needs.

Officials and experts at the meeting agreed that without a collective shift in public behaviour, new infrastructure projects alone will not be sufficient to address Rawalpindi's mounting water crisis.