RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has officially granted full administrative powers to Murree and Talagang, declaring them as independent districts in the Rawalpindi Division under the new provincial budget.
According to the details, along with these, all five newly created districts and seven tehsils formed over the past three years will now get separate development budgets and full autonomy.
Earlier, these districts operated without proper systems, often described as running in a confused and unstructured manner. Until now, none of the government departments in the new districts had full authority, nor did they have district and sessions courts. These areas were also left out of special district-level planning in the 2024–25 budget.
The Punjab government has now officially informed the deputy commissioners of the new districts and the commissioner of the newly formed Gujrat Division about this change.
The decision has brought happiness among elected representatives from these new areas. With the addition of one new division, five new districts, and seven tehsils, Punjab now has a total of 10 divisions, 41 districts, and 156 tehsils.
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Rawalpindi Becomes Largest Division
Rawalpindi Division now includes six districts — Rawalpindi, Murree, Chakwal, Attock, Jhelum, and Talagang — with a total of 24 tehsils, making it the largest division in Punjab. Lahore Division is now second, with four districts and 22 tehsils.
Other divisions include:
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Lahore Division: Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib (4 districts, 22 tehsils)
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Gujranwala Division: Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal (3 districts, 11 tehsils)
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Gujrat Division (new): Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad (4 districts, 12 tehsils)
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Multan Division: Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Khanewal (4 districts, 14 tehsils)
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Sahiwal Division: Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Okara (3 districts, 7 tehsils)
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Bahawalpur Division: Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan (3 districts, 15 tehsils)
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Dera Ghazi Khan Division: D.G. Khan, Taunsa, Rajanpur, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu (6 districts, 16 tehsils)
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Faisalabad Division: Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh (4 districts, 17 tehsils)
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Sargodha Division: Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakkar (4 districts, 18 tehsils)
Rawalpindi and D.G. Khan divisions now have the highest number of districts, while Rawalpindi and Lahore divisions have the most tehsils.
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Each new district will receive a special grant, including an annual development budget. National and Provincial Assembly members from these areas will be given Rs100 million each for development work.
Rawalpindi, Islamabad Water Crisis Looms as Khanpur Dam Nears Dead Level;
The water level in Khanpur Dam has dropped alarmingly to just 11 feet above the dead level due to a long dry spell, raising serious concerns about the water supply to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to official data shared on Friday, the dam’s water level has fallen to 1,921 feet, just above the dead storage level of 1,910 feet. The inflow is only 16 cusecs per day, while the outflow is 127 cusecs.
Of this, 96.18 cusecs are being supplied daily to major users like the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB).
Officials warned that if the current conditions continue, the remaining water could last just 25 more days. The water level is currently falling at a rate of 0.10 feet per day due to continued supply to civic bodies.
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The dam’s catchment areas — Margalla Hills and Galiyat — have received little to no rain recently, worsening the situation. Rocks and dry patches have become visible at the main reservoir and spillways. If there is no heavy rainfall in the next 10 to 15 days, the dam could hit its dead level.
Water supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for irrigation was suspended a month ago. The water table in areas like Taxila and Wah has also dropped sharply. The number of visitors and picnickers at the dam has decreased as well.
