RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government will decide whether to fund the Rs52 billion Daducha Dam water supply project from its own budget or seek foreign donors. The project aims to supply 35 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Rawalpindi.
A senior official of the Planning and Development Department Punjab said a pre-Punjab External Financing Assessment Committee (PEFAC) meeting will be held in Lahore on Monday to discuss the project.
The official said the provincial government has asked Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) to prepare a project concept and submit it for review. The meeting will be chaired by the head of the Planning and Development Board.
According to WASA, the project can be completed by 2029 if work starts in the 2026–27 fiscal year. The total cost is estimated at Rs52 billion. If the project is not fully funded by the province, 70 per cent will be arranged from development partners and 30 per cent from the government.
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The official said Rawalpindi’s total water demand is 72.1 MGD, while the city already faces a shortfall of 21 MGD. If work does not begin soon, the shortage may rise by 27.3 MGD by 2030.
WASA Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said work on the Daducha Dam water supply scheme is under way. He added that the provincial government has directed WASA to submit the summary and PC-II to the Planning and Development Department for final approval.
He said a decision on the project is expected within a day or two after technical review. Construction at the dam site is more than 35 per cent complete, but work is needed to start supplying 35 MGD of water to the city.
Mr Ashraf said the Rs14 billion Daducha Dam is being built upstream of the Ling River. It will store rainwater from the Murree and Kahuta hills in a lake near Daducha village on Kahuta Road.
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Under the plan, Rs5 billion will be spent on land acquisition, Rs9 billion on a water treatment plant, Rs3.5 billion on groundwater storage, and Rs1.19 billion on laying 119 kilometres of water supply lines, along with other costs.
He said WASA currently supplies water from both surface and groundwater sources. The Rawal Dam is the main surface water source, providing over 23 MGD against its capacity of 28 MGD. The Khanpur Dam is the second source, but only six MGD is being received due to low water levels.
He added that about 500 tubewells supply around 35 MGD, making up more than 60 per cent of the total water supply.
“The current sources are not enough for the city’s growing population,” he said. “To meet future needs, Rawalpindi must shift from groundwater to surface water, as groundwater recharge is no longer sufficient.”
