RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has launched a Rs43 million feasibility study to bring 35 million gallons of water daily (MGD) from the Daducha Dam to the city.
The study, to be completed within two months, will also include plans for a water filtration plant at the dam site.
WASA Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said a consultant has been hired to prepare a PC-I for the project, covering water supply and treatment.
He explained that Rawalpindi currently gets water from both surface and groundwater sources. Rawal Dam, the city’s oldest main source, supplies over 23 MGD, slightly below its 28 MGD capacity.
Khanpur Dam provides 6 MGD due to low water levels in the lake, while 480 tube wells extract around 35 MGD from groundwater, accounting for over 60% of total water supply.
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Ashraf said the city’s current water sources are insufficient for the growing population. “Groundwater alone cannot meet future demand. We must shift to surface water,” he added.
Rawal Dam has completed about 56 years of service, making the Daducha Dam project vital. The Small Dams Organisation has already started construction at Ling River near Daducha village, a tributary of the Soan River, to store stormwater and supply 35 MGD to Rawalpindi after treatment.
The feasibility study will examine the best way to treat, transport, and distribute water economically. A pre-feasibility study has already identified a site for the treatment plant and pipeline route.
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Ashraf said the project will meet current and future drinking water needs, reduce contamination, improve overall water supply, lower costs by replacing expensive groundwater extraction, and support low-income communities.
It will also help recharge groundwater and improve the city’s environment. The consultant will conduct data collection, review previous studies, carry out topographic, geotechnical, and hydrogeological surveys, design project components, and prepare plans for land acquisition, resettlement, and environmental and social impact assessment.
“Rawalpindi’s water demand is growing rapidly, and this project is essential for the city’s future,” Ashraf concluded.
