Wasa warns of water crisis in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi: The citizens of Rawalpindi city and adjoining areas should brace themselves for shortage of water supply during the coming summer as, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) without any hesitation has sounded a warning about it.

Not only a highly placed official of Wasa but even its Chairman, Mohammad Arif Abbasi talking to ‘The News’ conceded the fact that Rawalpindi city would be severely hit by problem of acute shortage of water during summer starting from the current year and to continue till the time work on Ghazi Barotha Dam is not completed, which would be sufficient to meet the demand for next 40 to 50 years.

The chairman alleged that over the last 20 years no work on improvement of water supply system has been done by the past governments and related authorities which was more essential than launching a project like Metro Bus in different cities. “Huge amount worth Rs72 billion was spent only on this project while the governments did not take any step to launch water schemes in Rawalpindi which was more important than launching the Metro Bus project,” he added.

Similarly, instead of adopting strategy to construct small and big dams in different parts of the country, all focus has been laid on installation of tube wells every year, costing millions of rupees. Briefing comprehensively, Arif Abbasi, told that the option of tube wells proved too costly for the civic body as huge funds were spent on their installation. Besides the staff on tube wells included valve men, operators, supervisors and their in-charge in every area and in two shifts. “More electricity is spent on operation of tube wells and payments of its bills. As the level of ground water also keeps on falling rapidly, the civic body should have not preferred spending millions of rupees on tube wells installations and instead should have worked on finding alternative options, the chairman remarked. Now the tube wells have stopped operating in certain union councils due to reduced underground water level.

To a question, that construction of dams like Ghazi Barotha and others are long term plans, what alternative steps should be taken by Wasa to meet crisis like situation in summer particularly when several tube wells have also stopped working, the chairman was of the view that besides utilising the the sources of Rawal and Khanpur dams, Wasa was also negotiating with Murree administration to get water from there to meet the demand. “The administration of Murree has given its consent to extend fullest help to Wasa during summer this year,” he said adding besides this, we have also decided to acquire at least 15 to 20 new tube wells as stand which would be replaced immediately in case any old tube well develops fault in the union councils. Moreover, work is already underway to repair leaking water pipes to save water wastage,” he added.