ISLAMABAD: Director General Water, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Sardar Khan Zimri, has said that CDA is implementing comprehensive short-term and long-term strategies to address Islamabad’s growing water challenges and ensure sustainable water supply. He said several mega projects have been initiated to bridge the widening gap between water demand and supply.
He expressed these views during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry where he held an interactive session with members of the business community representing various sectors of trade and industry.
Sardar Khan Zimri informed the participants that Islamabad currently requires around 120 million gallons of water daily against the available supply of nearly 80 million gallons. To overcome the shortfall, CDA has launched multiple major projects including Shahdra Dam, Dhotara Dam upstream of Khanpur Dam and a mega initiative to bring 100 million gallons of water from Tarbela to Islamabad. He termed the Tarbela project a long-term solution for the future needs of the city and said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a task force under the Chairmanship of Interior Minister to oversee the mega projects as well as the water and sewerage issues.
He stated that Shahdra Dam is expected to be completed within one and a half to two years while significant progress on other projects would also be visible in the next three to four years.
The DG Water said CDA is simultaneously focusing on improving operational efficiency by reducing water losses caused by leakages and outdated infrastructure. He noted that around 25 to 30 percent of water is currently wasted due to leakages and the authority aims to reduce these losses to 15 to 20 percent through rehabilitation of damaged pipelines and modernization of the network system.
He further said CDA is upgrading small waterworks like Shahdara, Ssid Pur and Barri Imam and taking practical measures for groundwater conservation through rainwater harvesting initiatives. He added that the authority plans to expand rainwater harvesting to the household level and awareness material would be distributed among citizens to promote water conservation practices. He added that as the short term measure we are going to outsource all the tube-wells to enhance their efficiency
Sardar Khan Zimri said CDA is also enhancing tanker services in water-deficient sectors including efforts to improve operational capacity despite budgetary and staffing challenges.
He informed the participants that CDA has signed agreements with the World Bank for long-term reforms in Islamabad’s water management aimed at improving efficiency, maintenance and sustainable utilization of resources. He also highlighted cooperation with international partners, including a French development agency, for the rehabilitation of the Simly Water Treatment Plant, which is expected to be completed within two years.
The DG Water also acknowledged the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for preparing a comprehensive master plan for Islamabad’s future water infrastructure and supply requirements for the next 50 years.
Responding to concerns regarding contamination caused by mixing of sewage and drinking water, Sardar Khan Zimri said CDA immediately responds to complaints by disconnecting affected lines and providing free tanker services to residents until issues are resolved. He attributed such problems to the aging infrastructure where sewage and water supply lines run parallel to each other.
Earlier, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sardar Tahir Mehmood, in his welcome address, appreciated the dedication and accessibility of Sardar Khan Zimri in addressing the concerns of residents and the business community. He highlighted key water-related issues faced by the city and emphasized the need for timely completion of all ongoing water projects to meet the growing needs of Islamabad.
Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub, Vice President Irfan Chaudhry, former ICCI Presidents Mohammad Ejaz Abbasi, Zahid Maqbool Basir Daud and President Council for Water Preservation and former Senior Vice President Mehmood Warrich also shared their views and suggestions on improving water management and civic services in the capital.
Executive Members Waseem Chaudhry, Ishaq Sial, Sanaullah Durrani, Zulqurnain Abbasi, Rohail Anwar Butt, former Senior Vice President Khalid Chaudhry, Tahir Abbasi, former Executive Member Zakria Zia, Abbas Hashmi and a large number of representatives of industry and market associations attended the session and took part in question and answer.
