'Dream Project' faces chronic delays

ADB-funded scheme suffers from contractual disputes and financial strain

RAWALPINDI:

A flagship water supply scheme, launched with Rs33.95 billion in loan funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and intended to deliver an additional 17 million gallons of water per day to residents of Rawalpindi, has become ensnared in prolonged delays, turning the so-called "Dream Project" into little more than a dream for the city's inhabitants.

The project has yet to secure a permanent Deputy Project Director (CIT). Two Deputy Managing Directors (DMDs) have already been relieved of their duties, and the Project Director has also been replaced once. The additional charge of DMD has now been assigned, for the third time, to WASA Managing Director Muhammad Saleem Ashraf.

Meanwhile, contracts for Lots 2 and 3, collectively valued at Rs20.4b, have remained embroiled in disputes for almost two years, while work on Lots 1 and 4 continues without interruption.

According to official sources, the Chief Minister's Inspection Team (CMIT) confirmed procedural violations in the awarding of contracts for Lots 2 and 3, following Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's intervention over allegations that the contracts had been granted solely to a foreign firm, excluding a local partner company.

After the CMIT's inquiry, the project's steering committee annulled the contracts, and the matter now remains sub judice and under arbitration by the Secretary of Housing.

The two disputed lots, connected to the Chahan Dam, were designed to provide 12 million gallons of additional water per day to Rawalpindi. With the contracts now suspended and no resolution in sight, the project faces mounting costs and rising interest on the ADB loan.

By contrast, work continues on Lot 1 (worth Rs6.36b) and Lot 4 (worth Rs7.19b), which together aim to channel an additional 5 million gallons daily from Rawal Dam. The entire scheme — comprising four lots with a total value of Rs33.95b — is slated for completion by December 2027, though insiders acknowledge that timely completion now appears increasingly improbable.

Officials concede that the core segments — Lots 2 and 3 — constitute the main body of the project, yet no physical progress has been achieved on them over the past two years, leaving the future of this vital scheme in serious doubt.

It is noteworthy that the number of Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs) across Punjab has recently been expanded from five to sixteen, with a new provincial-level WASA Authority established under Director General Tayyab Farid.

In Rawalpindi, Zeeshan Gondal was originally appointed Deputy Project Director for the Dream Project but was later removed, along with Project Director Hamza Salik, amid the contractual dispute.

Umar Javed was subsequently named Project Director, while Muhammad Hasnain briefly held the DMD position before the charge was reassigned to MD WASA Muhammad Saleem Ashraf — marking the third such reallocation.

Meanwhile, the rapid depletion of the groundwater table, the frequent failure of tube wells, and the rising daily demand for water driven by urban expansion have made the Dream Water Supply Project the only sustainable long-term solution to Rawalpindi's impending water crisis. Yet, under the present circumstances, its future remains uncertain.

When contacted, Punjab WASA Authority Director General Tayyab Farid told The Express Tribune that the Dream Project is of exceptional strategic importance, adding that a panel of candidates has been forwarded to the provincial government for the appointment of a full-time Deputy Project Director (CIT) to ensure dedicated oversight and timely execution of the scheme.