Rawalpindi:
The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad continue to face an imminent water crisis, since the three main dams that supply water to the region are experiencing critically low levels due to prolonged drought and 44% rain below the average in the last 12 months.
With the abrasing heat and ascending temperatures that accelerate evaporation, water levels in Rawal, Khanpur and Simly Dams have fallen alarmingly. If the strong rains prior to the monsoon do not occur on June 30, water scarcity could become a severe crisis for both cities.
The Rawal dam, built in 1960, has a total storage capacity of 1,752 Acres-Pie. It currently has 1,737 water acres-water, it is not enough to meet the needs of twin cities for two months. The Khanpur dam, with a capacity of 1,982 Acres-Pie, now has only 1,921 Acres-Pie, enough for only one month of supply. Simly Dam, which only supplies Islamabad, has a storage capacity of 2,315 Acres-Pie, but currently contains 2,249 acres-pies, enough for approximately two months.
Rawalpindi receives 23 million gallons of water daily from Rawal Dam, and about six million additional gallons from Khanpur through the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). Due to the lack of rain, groundwater levels have also fallen dramatically, between 750 and 800 feet in Rawalpindi, with similar conditions in Islamabad. Most of the wells and tube wells installed between 1990 and 2000 in Rawalpindi have now dried, cutting the water supply of those sources.
The WASA spokesman and administration director Umar Farooq confirmed that the fall in the water levels of the dam is due to the ongoing drought. However, he assured the public that there is no reason for panic. “It is expected that the season before the Monzón will begin in two days, followed by the main season of the monsoon, which should bring heavy rains and help replace the dams,” he said.
Although he acknowledged the current water scarcity, he ruled out the possibility of an important crisis and pointed out that in the areas that face the low water supply or the tubes that work badly, the agency has initiated the supply of water through the tankers. He urged residents to keep water avoiding wasteful practices, such as washing cars and watering the grass with hoses.
