Islamabad Approves Emergency Plan to Tackle Water Shortage

News Desk 

Islamabad: The federal government on Saturday approved an emergency-action plan to address the worsening water shortage in Islamabad, with a focus on both immediate relief measures and long-term infrastructure development for the twin cities.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, which reviewed proposals to enhance water storage capacity and strengthen the existing distribution system. 

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister Syed Tauqeer Shah, senior officials from the Ministry of Interior, Capital Development Authority (CDA), WAPDA, and the Rawalpindi administration.

During the meeting, Minister Naqvi announced that the CDA, in collaboration with the Punjab government, will construct new dams to meet the long-term water requirements of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Authorities also briefed participants on the progress of several planned small dams and water reservoirs, including the Chirah, Dotara and Shahdara projects.

Officials from WAPDA and CDA presented feasibility reports, timelines and multiple options aimed at improving water supply to both urban and rural areas of the capital. The Dotara Dam, with a proposed storage capacity of 110 million gallons per day (MGD), was formally approved and is expected to be completed within two years.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/islamabad-was-a-forest-now-its-an-environmental-warning/

Expressing concern over deficiencies in the current water-supply system, the interior minister stressed the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the distribution network. He directed relevant departments to identify gaps in the system and implement effective mechanisms to ensure uninterrupted water delivery.

Terming the provision of water to Islamabad residents his “top priority,” Naqvi instructed authorities to take swift and effective action under a short-term plan by utilizing all available resources to meet immediate needs. He also ordered a strict crackdown on water theft and illegal or misuse of water connections.

To ensure timely implementation, the interior minister sought a detailed 10-day roadmap outlining concrete steps for on-ground execution of all approved water projects.

Senior officials, including the Secretary Interior, Additional Secretary Interior, Chairman CDA, Commissioner Rawalpindi and members of the CDA Board, were also present at the meeting.