Pindi needs reservoirs to store rainwater, recharge ground water

Rawalpindi: There is immediate need of at least 10 water reservoirs to recharge ground water otherwise drilling (water boring) will touch to 1000 feet against 500 feet here in city localities. Unfortunately, there was not a single water reservoir to recharge ground water in Rawalpindi except Rawal Dam which is in the jurisdiction of federal capital, Islamabad in this regard.

The dangerous fact is that ‘Sea Page’ (upper service water) was also polluted not able to drink because of industries and human activities included bad sewerage system here in city localities. Ever-increasing diseases are due to impure upper service water which we are drinking.

Assistant Agriculture Well Drilling (AAWD) Rana Adnan Ansar told ‘The News’ that day-by-day water crisis is going to worse as drilling (water boring) has reached to 500 feet against 240-250 feet in city localities. “If we never recharged ground water, this drilling (water boring) will touch 1000 feet,” he warned. We needed, at least 10 water reservoirs to store rain water, he advised.

Already Potohar region is based on rainwater but unfortunately there was not a single water reservoir here in Rawalpindi therefore people of city localities are facing water shortage, he added. He said that we should establish water reservoirs around WASA tanks to recharge ground water. “We are not suggesting public to further drilling (boring) in their houses as there was no ground water recharging,” he added.

The residents of the city areas are strongly affecting while those living tail end areas or in close of Soan River, Korang Nullah etc. enjoying healthy water, he claimed. It was due to water recharging but there was no source of ground water recharging particularly in city and cantonment board areas where big population is living facing water crisis continuously, he warned.

He said that industrial units, human activities included bad sewerage system strongly affecting ‘Sea Page’ (upper service water) as well which was dangerous for human health. It was needed to improve sewerage system first of all to provide healthy water to public, he advised. It is also worth mentioning here that even tail end localities will get regular supply of ‘sarkari’ water from September 2017.

The project of sinking 18 tube wells is near completion and officials are confident of meeting the deadline. The residents of Adiala Road, Defence Road, Usama Street, Munawar Colony, Saleha Street, Dama Syedan, Kalyal, Mubarak Lane, Nadir Street, Gulshanabad, Dhoke Juma, Al-Mumtaz Colony and several other localities need around are getting only 250000 gallons of water a day against their need of 900,000 gallons.

Majority of residents have been at the mercy of tanker mafia for years. The mafia charged Rs1200 for a tanker in summer while Rs1000 in winter. Majority of residents settled in city, cantonment and tail end localities are deprived off even drilling (boring water) as there was no water underground. The residents used expensive drilling from Rs250 to Rs1000 per fit but failed to get underground water. It was due to non-availability of water reservoirs to recharge ground water.

Muhammad Yaseen Virk a resident of Mohanpura said that he started drilling (boring) in his home but there were no signs of water even after 270 feet. The driller demanded Rs250 per feet without stone drilling and Rs1000 per feet to break underground stone drilling, he said.