Damaged water lines: Water waste seems non-issue for city managers

Officials revealed over 20 million gallons a day go waste.

ISLAMABAD:

Apart from the natural causes, its the man-made ones which are exacerbating the water crisis in the federal capital.

The below-par monsoons aside, damaged water pipelines are the main cuprits when it comes to water shortages in Islamabad.

The most recent case in point being the leakage at a pipeline near the Kashmir Highway-Fasial Avenue loop. Water is being wasted for the last four days over there due to a broken pipeline and the civic authorities seem unconcerned by it.

This is in spite of the fact that many sectors including 1-9, I-10, G-10, G-7, F-7, F-8 and G-6 are facing acute water shortages.

A Capital Development Authority (CDA) official requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune that damaged water pipelines in the capital lead to the wastage of over 20 million gallons of water every day. “Despite the huge loss of water, the civic agency seems non-serious about the issue,” he added.

Presently, the city needs around 120 million gallons of water per day to cater to the roughly 1.5 million city residents, or roughly 80 gallons per person per day.

The problem is that only 84 million gallons per day are available for most of the year, and even that drops to about 60 to 65 million gallons per day when the monsoon season come late or there is low rainfall.

CDA Chairperson Farkhand Iqbal recently admitted that the civic body is losing a huge amount of water and claimed that since he took charge, serious efforts were being made to overcome the crisis.

CDA Water Management Director General Sanaullah Aman held private contractors responsible, claiming they damaged pipelines while working there.

“I know of the damaged pipeline and will look into the matter,” he said, while adding, “we would rather have a leak than no water supply at all for the large neighborhood that this pipeline reaches to,” referring to the fact that water would have to be cut off for repairs.

Meanwhile, some youngsters have found a silver lining along the broken pipeline issue.

They hang around nearby all day to beat the heat. “I have come here every day to take a shower, the pressure of water is good,” said Farooq Khan a resident of Sector G-7. Others at the site said they do not care how much water is wasted through the pipeline and are only interested in enjoying the cold water.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2012.