Key water project hits a snag

Contracts worth Rs20.4b for two major portions remain cancelled amid year-long dispute

RAWALPINDI:

The Dream project, designed to supply an additional 17 million gallons of water per day to Rawalpindi through an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan of Rs33.95 billion, remains embroiled in a protracted dispute over the award of its contract.

In the meantime, the Managing Director of WASA Rawalpindi and several senior officials have departed for South Korea to attend a training programme linked to the project.

The contracts for Lot 2 and Lot 3, worth a combined Rs20.40b, were initially awarded but subsequently cancelled following the emergence of various disputes. For almost a year, the matter has remained unresolved, with no decision taken on whether the contracts should be freshly awarded or the cancelled awards reinstated. Even the Lahore High Court's appointment of the Punjab Secretary for Housing as arbitrator has failed to bring about a settlement.

The completion of these two lots is expected to deliver 12 million gallons per day to Rawalpindi from the Chahan Dam; however, progress remains at a standstill due to the ongoing controversy. In contrast, work on Lot 1 and Lot 4—which aim to supply an additional 5 million gallons per day from Rawal Dam and Khanpur Dam—is advancing at pace. Once completed, these lots are expected to provide a reliable, round-the-clock water supply to the Khayaban-e-Sir Syed areas. The combined value of these two contracts is Rs 13.55 billion.

Sources report that a ten-day training programme related to the Dream Project has commenced in South Korea. The participants from WASA Rawalpindi include: Managing Director Muhammad Salim Ashraf, Director Revenue Rana Shams, Director Water Supply Anam Javed, Director P-WASA Zameer Ahmed, Assistant Director Javed Iqbal Bhatti, and Assistant Director Ahmed Hussain.

During the programme, experts will provide training in smart water-supply metering systems, leakage detection in underground pipelines, and other technical disciplines.

According to insiders, the deadline for completing all four lots of the Dream Project is December 2027, after which residents of Rawalpindi are expected to benefit from an additional 17 million gallons of water per day. However, given the current circumstances, timely completion appears increasingly improbable.

Thus far, one Project Director and two Deputy Project Directors have already been replaced. The position of Deputy Project Director—critical for direct oversight of the scheme—remains vacant, and the temporary charge of this role has been assigned to the MD WASA for the third time.