Demand stands at 130.12 million gallons, while the available supply is only 69.98 million gallons per day.
RAWALPINDI:
With the onset of summer, Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas outside Islamabad are facing a growing water crisis, with the daily water deficit having reached 60.14 million gallons, with authorities warning that the deficit is expected to widen further in the coming months.
At present, the combined daily water demand for Rawalpindi city and cantonment stands at 130.12 million gallons, while the available supply is only 69.98 million gallons per day.
Officials expect future relief from the completion of the Chahan, Daducha and Cherah dam projects, which together are expected to provide an additional 80 million gallons of water per day. However, experts warn that when these systems are operational, demand will have increased further due to rapid population growth.
According to official details, long-term plans to supply 200 million gallons of water per day to the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the first phase – eventually increasing to 500 million gallons per day in three stages via the Ghazi Water Canal from the Indus – have effectively remained abandoned.
As a result, the water situation in the Twin Cities is becoming increasingly alarming.
The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board currently requires 50 million gallons of water per day, but receives only 12.78 million gallons from Khanpur Dam and tube wells, leaving a daily deficit of 37.22 million gallons and causing severe hardship to residents.
Meanwhile, under the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the daily water requirement of Rawalpindi city stands at 70 million gallons, while the combined supply from Khanpur Dam, Rawal Dam and tube wells is only 51.5 million gallons, creating a deficit of 18.5 million gallons per day.
