Meeting local demand: ‘Chirah Dam to be built on 50-50 basis’

Minister says another project on cards to bring water from River Indus

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad on Tuesday apprised the Senate that Chirah Dam was being built with the collaboration of Punjab government for supplying drinking water to the twin cities.  

Replying to a supplementary question during question hour, he said the dam would be built on 50-50 per cent basis. Capital Development Authority (CDA) has already provided 50 per cent of its share, he added.

The minister said that currently water was being supplied to the capital from Simly Dam, and conceded that there was shortage of drinking water in the twin cities.

Another project was also on the cards to bring water from River Indus, subject to the consent of Punjab and Sindh provinces, he added.

To a question, Ahmad said the CDA has not yet acquired the entire 70,000 acres for Zone-IV. However, on the acquired land, the authority had developed model villages, agro-farming schemes and allotted plots to government departments for establishment of various institutions.

Replying to another question, the minister said CDA’s environment wing was renovating the greenbelts on the sides of Islamabad Expressway from time to time during the last two years. CDA has developed two linear parks in front of KRL Chowk and Fazaia Colony, he said further, adding that during monsoon season, 28,000 trees would be planted, he added.

He added that a separate directorate has been set up in CDA to deal with encroachments. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2015.