CDA restores 2 MGD water supply to RCB

[LahoreEstate]

* Supply was cut from nine MGD to seven MGD on non-payment of outstanding dues
* Ministry of Defence assures CDA of dues payment
* WASA sees no water crisis this summer

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday restored two million gallons daily (MGD) water supply to Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) from Khanpur Dam that was cut off in January.

The CDA had reduced the supply from nine MGD to seven MGD as the RCB had failed to pay its share of loan to the authority, which had to pay foreign loans obtained for the Rs 6.82 billion Khanpur Dam Project (Metropolitan Water Supply Project) as well as huge interest, the sources told Daily Times.

The RCB gets nine MGD water from Khanpur Dam and pays the CDA for it, they said, adding, however RCB had made no payment to CDA for the last one-year citing funds’ shortage as a reason. The RCB water related outstanding payment to CDA now amounts to Rs 93 million, they added.

Presently, RCB receives 9 MGD water from Khanpur Dam and 5 MGD from 53 tube wells in the cantonment limits, while the daily water needs of the cantonment are 19 MGD, said the sources.

Ministry of Defence: The sources said RCB had requested the Ministry of Defence to play its role in restoration of water supply, as the civic body was facing acute water shortage and the situation would further worsen in summer season if the water supply were not restored.

After assurance from the Ministry, the CDA restored the water supply without any payment, they said. They said the RCB had not given any timeframe for payment of outstanding dues.

They said due to cut on water supply, the residents of cantonment localities were facing hardship, as the civic body had introduced water-rationing system.

They said more than 300 complaints were being registered daily with the RCB for past two months, as a few tube-wells were not sufficient to meet water requirement of thickly populated localities of cantonment.

WASA: Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of water shortage in the town in coming summer, claiming Rawal and Khanpur dams will have enough water in the days ahead for the next one year.

WASA Deputy Managing Director Chaudhry Naseer told Daily Times that water was being supplied to Rawalpindi city from Rawal and Khanpur dams, and 270 tube wells. He said water level was 33,000 acres feet in Rawal Dam against the storage capacity of 37,000 acres feet and 50,000 acres feet in Khanpur Dam against the storage capacity of 93,000 acres feet. The water is enough to last five to six months, he said.

Rains: The WASA official said more rains in the days ahead, especially during monsoon, would improve water situation in the dams.

“I can claim with confidence that there’ll be no water crisis this summer. We’ll have enough water in Rawal and Khanpur dams in future to meet the twin cities’ needs for the next 350 days,” he said.

Naseer said Khanpur Dam supplied 100 acres feet water to the agency, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Rawal Dam 90 acres feet water to Rawalpindi city on a daily basis.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1