Capital To Get 100 Mgd Water From Ghazi Barotha Reservoir: Ali Nawaz

Capital to get 100 mgd water from Ghazi Barotha reservoir: Ali Nawaz

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs, Ali Nawaz Awan said the government has started a project, in collaboration with FWO, to bring 100 million gallons per day (MGD) water from Ghazi Barotha reservoir to fulfill the needs of people living in the federal capital

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Oct, 2021 ) :Advisor to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs, Ali Nawaz Awan said the government has started a project, in collaboration with FWO, to bring 100 million gallons per day (MGD) water from Ghazi Barotha reservoir to fulfill the needs of people living in the Federal capital.

"The government is working on long and short term initiatives to meet water requirements of the federal capital. We have also worked on efficient water management as a short-term measure. A lot of progress has been made in this direction", he said while speaking at a consultative meeting on 'demonstration of nature-based solutions for improving the resilience of groundwater aquifers here.

The advisor said, according to the 1998 Census, Islamabad's population was about 0.8 million and now in the current census, which was conducted after almost 19 years, the federal capital's population had reached about 2.3 million.

"Within 20 years, the population in Islamabad has tripled; there are multiple reasons for migration into the capital including better infrastructure, good schooling system, and availability of healthcare, employment opportunity, and good living standards. Though the population increased manifold, the facilities didn't and that has put a lot of burden on the existing infrastructures and facilities," he added.

He said there was a need to take steps to make the future of the country's next-generation water secure.

"God has gifted us this water in the shape of rains and every year, we are wasting it into Nallah Lai. I directed the CDA to make it a priority and complete the soil water recharge wells at the earliest. The more we built these wells, the more we will be able to secure the rainwater" he added In the past, he said, water storage was not on the priority list of the previous governments, However, he said, looking at the depleted resources, the government is working hard to address this issue.

He said that no one can imagine that a city like Islamabad would face the non-availability of water, but sectors such as G-10, G-11, I-10, G-13, are facing extreme water shortage.

After the 1991 Water Accord, Islamabad, he said, the capital city can't get water from Indus without permission.

Advisor said, before the 1991 accord, Islamabad was getting water from Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, and from about 100 to 200 tube wells.

Country Representative, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Dr. Mohsin Hafeez has suggested the government make mandatory rain-water storage tanks for new housing schemes.

"The store water can be used for gardening, toilets (flush), and for the carwash, etc, "he said.

He said Islamabad gets a lot of rain and the rainwater can be stored to end the water shortage and to avoid a flood.

The city has witnessed a flood-like situation during the current monsoon season when posh areas of Islamabad got flooded, causing huge damages to infrastructure and public property including vehicles, he added.

Dr. Mohsin Hafeez said, "We are working in Pakistan as well as in Islamabad with relevant stakeholders in providing evidence-based scientific solutions to overcome issues of water." Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), said, "International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Pakistan and Capital Development Authority (CDA are doing water resources assessment of the entire Islamabad for surface water as well as groundwater and identifying research sites.

Based on this assessment, he said, a draft for developing the groundwater and surface water legal framework is also in progress.

Member Engineering, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Engr. Syed Munawar Shah said that the current government encouraged working on the idea of finding nature-based solutions.

"We have developed a PC-1 to overcome the shortage of water in Islamabad. Islamabad relies only on two water sources i.e., surface water and groundwater resources. The groundwater table of the capital is depleted at the rate of one meter every year whereas Islamabad gets almost 1.5-meter rainfall each year" he added.

CDA, he said, would establish at least 50 wells initially to capitalize on the winter rains and the remaining 30 wells would be completed by June 30 2022 before the next monsoon season.

Member CDA appreciated Country Representative IWMI's suggestion of making it mandatory for all upcoming CDA and FGEHA sectors as well as private housing schemes, those who get their land plans approved by CDA, to have rain-water tanks.